Urbanization and Settlement Patterns

Site and Situation

  • Site: A city's physical location with favorable features (topography, resources, climate).
    • Examples: Mesopotamia, Egypt, and the Indus River Valley.
  • Situation: How a site connects to other sites; its relative location.
    • Example: Hangzhou, China, thrived due to its location on the Grand Canal.

Urbanization

  • Definition: The development of densely populated settlements (cities).
  • Influenced by: Transportation, communication, population growth/migration, economic development, and government policies.

Impact of Technology and Migration on Urbanization

  • Telegraph, telephone, and internet: Increased business efficiency and global communication.
  • Migration: Rural-to-urban migration driven by lack of opportunities in rural areas.

Cities: Types and Growth

  • Megacity: Regional population over 10 million, typically in peripheral/semi-peripheral countries.
  • Metacity: Regional population over 20 million, mostly in peripheral/semi-peripheral countries e.g. Tokyo and Delhi.
  • Early 20th-century growth: Fueled by affordable cars (Model T, assembly line).

Urban Expansion

  • Urban Sprawl: Unplanned expansion leading to decentralization.
  • Suburbanization: Movement to suburbs enabled by cars.
  • Edge Cities: Semi-independent communities on urban edges with downtown areas and transportation access.
  • Exurbs: Low-density areas beyond suburbs, inhabited by wealthier citizens.
  • White Flight: Urban sprawl led to racial segregation as white populations moved to suburbs.
  • Boomburb: Rapidly growing suburb with over 100,000 residents.
  • World City: Urban area influencing global economy and finance (e.g., New York City).

Urban Models

  • Rank-Size Rule: City size distribution where the second largest city is half the size of the largest, etc.
  • Primate City Rule: One city is disproportionately larger than others in a country (e.g., Mexico City).
  • Christaller’s Central Place Theory: Explains settlement sizes based on their relationship to a central place.
    • Central Place: Top of the hierarchy.
    • Threshold: Number of people needed to support a service.
    • Range: Distance people travel for goods/services.
    • Gravity Model: Interaction between two places is based on size and proximity.
    • Interaction \propto \frac{Population1 \cdot Population2}{Distance^2}

CBD and Land Use

  • CBD Housing Costs: Expensive, low density; commercial land use predominates.
  • Zoning Regulations: Laws dictating land use (residential, commercial) affecting population density and location.
  • Infilling: Developing underused land within urban areas for housing/commercial sites.
  • Infrastructure: Systems supporting populations (roads, hospitals).

Sustainability in Cities

  • Importance: Using resources for future generations.
  • Types: Smart growth policies, New Urbanism, greenbelts, slow-growth cities.
    • Smart Growth: Combats sprawl with environmental protection and walkable areas.
    • New Urbanism: Focuses on walkable neighborhoods and mixed land use.
    • Smart Transportation: Public transportation over cars.
    • Greenbelts: Natural barriers preventing urban sprawl.
    • Slow-Growth Cities: Use zoning to slow urban sprawl.
  • Census Data: Quantitative data used for understanding population composition and size.
  • Qualitative Data: Interview-based data to gauge feelings on urban issues.

Urban Challenges and Solutions

  • Social/Economic Challenges: Redlining, blockbusting, housing affordability, rising crime, environmental injustice.
  • Disamenity Zones: Areas lacking basic amenities.
  • Squatter Settlements: Structures built from discarded materials (disamenity zones).
  • Inclusionary Zoning: Requires affordable housing in new developments.
  • Local Food Movements: Urban gardens for nutritional food access.
  • Urban Renewal Initiatives: Targeted run-down areas for demolition and rebuilding leading to displacement.
  • Gentrification: Rebuilding deteriorating areas, displacing lower-income residents.

Urban Sustainability Issues

  • Sanitation: Waste disposal problems in peripheral/semi-peripheral countries.
  • Climate Change: Cities radiate heat due to hard surfaces (urban heat islands).
  • Air and Water Quality: Pollution and lack of clean water, especially in rapidly growing areas.

Solutions to Urban Problems

  • Regional Planning Efforts: Coordination across local governments.
  • Brownfield Remediation: Cleaning up polluted industrial sites.
  • Urban Growth Boundaries: Limits to contain city growth.
  • Farmland Protection Policies: Prevent conversion of agricultural land.

Urban Models

  • Burgess Concentric Zone Model: City grows in circles from CBD.
    • CBD, Zone of Transition, Working Class, Middle Class, Upper Class.
  • Hoyt Sector Model: City develops in wedge-shaped sectors along transit routes.
  • Harris and Ullman Multiple Nuclei Model: City develops around multiple nodes, not just the CBD.
  • Galactic City Model: Decentralized CBD influence with suburban edge cities connected by highways.
  • Latin American Model: CBD and market established by colonial law, spine with upper-class housing, zones for different income levels.
  • Southeast Asian Model: Trading ports replace CBD; high-class residential near port; market gardening zone; squatter areas.
  • African Model: Multiple CBDs (colonial, traditional, modernizing); ethnic neighborhoods; squatter settlements.