Unit 6: Cities and Urban Land Use

These flashcards cover key concepts from Unit 6 on Cities and Urban Land Use, focusing on definitions, models, and evolution of urban areas.

What is the definition of urbanism in terms of population size?

Urbanism is defined by population size, which varies by culture and time, e.g., Portugal defines urban as more than 10,000 people.

What does MSA stand for in urban geography?

MSA stands for Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes a central city and its surrounding interacting counties.

What is a megalopolis?

A megalopolis is a term used to describe a large urban area formed by the merging of multiple metropolitan areas, such as Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill in North Carolina.

What are Micropolitan Statistical Areas?

Micropolitan Statistical Areas are smaller than MSAs and include areas with populations between 10,000 and 50,000.

How did the earliest cities evolve according to geography?

The earliest cities evolved from agricultural villages and developed in regions like Mesopotamia, the Indus River, and the Nile River Valley due to their geographic advantages.

What characterizes preindustrial cities?

Preindustrial cities developed primarily for trade and were often surrounded by agricultural production, declining after the fall of the Roman Empire.

What is the Urban Banana?

The Urban Banana is an arc of trade centers that stretched from London to Tokyo, indicating primary urbanization focus areas.

What was the primary consequence of the Industrial Revolution on urbanization?

The Industrial Revolution significantly increased urbanization as more jobs in industries attracted people from rural areas to urban centers.

What is the 'Central Place Model'?

The Central Place Model, developed by Walter Christaller, studies geographic patterns of urban land use, proposing that urban centers provide services to surrounding rural areas.

What does the 'Rank-Size Rule' suggest about city populations?

The Rank-Size Rule suggests that the nth largest city's population in a region is typically 1/n the size of the largest city's population.

How did globalization influence world cities?

World cities, or global cities, control a significant amount of the world's economic, political, and cultural activities, emerging from recent globalization trends.

What is 'gentrification' in urban development?

Gentrification refers to the process where older urban areas are renovated and revived, often leading to increased property values and displacement of existing residents.

What is the primary focus of 'Neo-Urbanism'?

Neo-Urbanism focuses on creating livable communities that promote health and connectivity, encouraging access to amenities to reduce urban sprawl.