6.2 Really big cities!

What is a megacity?

metropolitan areas with populations of more than 10 million people

What is a metacity?

metropolitan areas with populations of more than 20 million people

What is a megalopolis?

multiple metropoli (big cities) blended together

What is most to blame for the cause of decentralization and suburbanization in American cities?

With greater access to automobiles, roads and commercial developments have expanded outward from the city core. After WWII in the U.S., economic advancements, the GI Bill, automobiles ownership, and the Federal Aid Highway Act resulted in the increase of suburbs.

What is an edge city?

community located on the outskirts of a larger city with amenities typically found in an urban center

What is a boomburb?

suburb that has grown rapidly into a large and sprawling city with more than 100,000 residents

What is an exurb?

low-density, less diverse community on the outside edge of a traditional suburb; functions like a suburb, but more rural and less connected to the city core

What are the negative effects of urban sprawl?

placelessness

dependence on automobiles → pollution and traffic congestion

economically exclusive