Barron's AP Human Geography Unit 6 Key Terms

From the book!

ACTION SPACE

The geographical area that contains the space an individual interacts with on a daily basis.

BEAUX ARTS

The movement within city planning and urban design that stressed the marriage of older, classical forms with newer, industrial ones. Characteristics include wide thoroughfares, spacious parks, and civic monuments that stressed progress, freedom, and national unity.

BLOCKBUSTING

The practice where real estate agents and developers encouraged affluent white property owners to sell their homes and businesses at a loss by stoking fears that their neighborhoods were being overtaken by racial or ethnic minorities.

BOOMBURB

A large, rapidly growing city that is suburban in character but resembles the population totals of large urban cores.

BORCHERT’S EPOCHS

A concept by John R. Borchert that outlines five major epochs of American city development shaped by transportation and communication: sail-wagon (1790–1830), iron horse (1830–1870), steel rail (1870–1920), auto-air-amenity (1920–1970), and satellite-electronic-jet propulsion and high-technology (1970–present).

CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT

The downtown or nucleus of a city where retail stores, offices, and cultural activities are concentrated; characterized by high building densities and convergence of transportation systems.

CENTRAL-PLACE THEORY

A theory by Walter Christaller that explains the size and distribution of cities based on the competitive supply of goods and services to dispersed populations.

CITY BEAUTIFUL MOVEMENT

A movement in environmental design that aimed to create urban spaces reflecting order and civic pride, drawing inspiration from the Beaux Arts school.

COLONIAL CITIES

Cities established by colonizing empires as administrative centers, often overtaking existing native cities.

CONCENTRIC-ZONE MODEL

A model describing urban environments as a series of rings of distinct land uses radiating out from a central core, or central business district.

EDGE CITIES

Cities located on the outskirts of larger cities that serve many urban functions but in a decentralized suburban environment.

ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE

The fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people, regardless of race or income, in environmental decision-making.

EUROPEAN CITIES

Cities in Europe that retain characteristics from the Medieval Period, such as development density, narrow streets, and a prominent church at the city center.

EXURBANITE

A person who has left the inner city and moved to outlying suburbs or rural areas.

FEUDAL CITIES

Cities that arose during the Middle Ages, representing stagnation in urban growth with a dependent relationship between wealthy landowners and peasants.

FORWARD CAPITAL

A capital city placed in a remote area for economic, strategic, or symbolic reasons.

GALACTIC CITY MODEL

A circular-city model that encapsulates the role of the automobile in recent urban development.

GATEWAY CITIES

Cities that act as ports of entry and distribution centers for large geographic areas due to their location.

GENTRIFICATION

The trend of middle- and upper-income individuals moving into city centers, rehabilitating architecture, but also displacing low-income populations.

GHETTOIZATION

The process in many inner cities where areas become dilapidated as affluent residents move out, creating centers of poverty.

GREAT MIGRATION

The early 20th-century mass movement of African Americans from the Deep South to the industrial North, particularly Chicago.

HINTERLAND

The market area surrounding an urban center that the urban center serves.

INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION

A period marked by rapid social and economic changes in manufacturing and agriculture that began in England and spread worldwide.

INNER-CITY DECAY

The decline of urban areas due to population loss from migration to suburbs, leading to reduced tax revenue and increased poverty.

ISLAMIC CITIES

Cities in Muslim countries shaped by religious beliefs, featuring mosques, walls, open markets, and unique layouts.

LATIN AMERICAN CITIES

Cities influenced by colonialism and industrialization, with distinct sectors radiating from the central business district.

MEDIEVAL CITIES

European cities developed during the Medieval Period, characterized by dense development, winding streets, and defensive walls.

MEGACITIES

Large urban areas primarily in the developing world, marked by high population growth, chaotic growth, pollution, and poverty.

MEGALOPOLIS

An urban complex formed by the merging of several metropolitan areas.

METACITIES

Urban regions larger than megacities, comprising multiple dense areas or cores interspersed with suburbs and green spaces.

METROPOLITAN AREA

An urban area in the US consisting of one or more counties, with several urbanized areas that act together economically.

MODERN ARCHITECTURE

A design philosophy focused on efficiency and geometric forms in cities, dominating urban forms for half a century.

MULTIPLE-NUCLEI MODEL

An urban structure with several centers of business and cultural activity rather than a single downtown.

NEW URBANISM

An urban planning movement promoting mixed-use developments and pedestrian-friendly, community-oriented cities.

NODE

A geographical center of activity; large cities have multiple nodes.

POSTMODERN ARCHITECTURE

An architectural reaction against modernism, incorporating historical styles and playful designs to make spaces more welcoming.

PRIMATE CITY

A country's leading city, disproportionately larger than other urban areas within the same country.

RANK-SIZE RULE

A principle stating that the population of a town should be inversely proportional to its rank in the country's urban hierarchy.

SECTOR MODEL

A model that depicts urban land use with sectors radiating out from the central business district along transportation corridors.

SEGREGATION

The separation of affluent individuals in homogeneous suburban neighborhoods, isolating others in urban centers.

SQUATTER SETTLEMENTS

Poor residential developments typically found on land outside cities that is neither owned nor rented by occupants.

SUBURBS

Residential communities situated outside city centers, often homogeneous in terms of demographics.

URBAN-GROWTH BOUNDARIES

Geographical limits placed around cities to control suburban growth.

URBAN MORPHOLOGY

The physical form and layout of a city or urban region.

URBAN REVITALIZATION

The process of redeveloping urban areas experiencing decay, often involving new shopping districts and cultural venues.

URBAN SPRAWL

The spread of suburban development over large areas, heavily dependent on automobile use.

WHITE FLIGHT

The trend of affluent white residents abandoning cities, contributing to urban decay, reversed by recent revitalization.

WORLD CITIES

Global centers of economic, cultural, and political activity that are closely interconnected, controlling global finance and commerce.