Cities & Urban Land-Use

Urbanization

The process of population growth in cities and the expansion of urban areas.

Suburbanization

The movement of people from city centers to surrounding residential areas.

Counterurbanization

A demographic shift from urban areas back to rural areas.

Megacity

A city with a population over 10 million (e.g., Tokyo, New York).

Metacity

A city with a population exceeding 20 million (e.g., São Paulo).

World City (Global City)

A city with significant global influence in finance, culture, and politics (e.g., London, New York).

Primate City

A city more than twice the size of the next largest city in a country, dominating the economy and culture (e.g., Bangkok).

Rank-Size Rule

A pattern where a country's nth largest city is 1/n the size of the largest city.

Central Business District (CBD)

The downtown core of a city where commercial activities are concentrated.

Edge City

A concentration of business, shopping, and entertainment outside the traditional downtown area.

Exurb

A semi-rural area located beyond the suburbs, often for commuters.

Gentrification

The process of urban renewal where wealthier individuals move into and revitalize lower-income neighborhoods, often displacing residents.

Urban Sprawl

The uncontrolled expansion of urban areas into surrounding regions.

Smart Growth

A planning approach that promotes sustainable, walkable, and efficient urban development.

Greenbelt

A ring of open land maintained to prevent urban sprawl.

Infrastructure

The physical systems needed for a city to function, such as transportation, water supply, and communication networks.

Zoning

Government regulations that dictate land use in different parts of a city (e.g., residential, commercial, industrial).

Mixed-Use Development

Urban development that blends residential, commercial, and recreational spaces.

New Urbanism

A planning movement promoting walkable, environmentally friendly, and community-oriented urban spaces.

Squatter Settlements

Informal, often illegal housing developments on the outskirts of cities, usually in developing countries.

Redlining

A discriminatory practice where banks refuse loans to certain areas, often based on racial demographics.

Blockbusting

A real estate tactic that pressures homeowners to sell by promoting racial fear.

Filtering

The process where wealthier residents move out of older housing, leading to lower-income occupancy.

Gated Community

A residential area with restricted access for security and exclusivity.

Urban Heat Island Effect

The phenomenon where urban areas are warmer than surrounding rural areas due to human activity and infrastructure.

Megaregion

A large network of interconnected cities and metropolitan areas (e.g., the BosWash corridor in the U.S.).

Gravity Model

A theory that predicts the interaction between places based on population size and distance.

Burgess Concentric Zone Model

A city model where urban areas grow in rings around the CBD.

Hoyt Sector Model

A city model where urban growth expands outward in wedges from the CBD.

Multiple Nuclei Model

A city model suggesting cities develop multiple centers, not just one dominant CBD.