U6_ Student Notes

Unit 6: Cities and Urban Land Use

6.1 THE ORIGINS AND INFLUENCES OF URBANIZATION

• Urbanization: The process of cities growing bigger and more populated.

  • Key Factors: Things that start urban growth include location and resources.

  • Site Factors: The land's climate, shape, water, and soil quality affect city growth.

    • Example: Houston grew because of its port and climate.

  • Situation Factors: A city's location compared to other places affects what it does.

    • Example: Houston's growth as the energy capital due to local resources.

• Transportation and Communication Networks: Important for moving goods and people.

  • Before 1850, cities relied on rivers and waterways.

  • Improvements in transport have changed city layouts, causing more spread-out growth.

6.2 BORCHERT’S EPOCHS OF AMERICAN URBANIZATION

• Four Stages of Urbanization:

  1. Sail-Wagon Epoch (1790-1830): Cities formed near coastlines and rivers.

  2. Iron Horse Epoch (1830-1870): Steam railroads made it easier to access resources.

  3. Steel Rail Epoch (1870-1920): Creation of transcontinental railways; cities like Chicago grew.

  4. Auto-Air-Amenity Epoch (1920-Present): Cars and planes changed city living; more people moved to places like Sunbelt cities.

6.3 CITIES AND GLOBALIZATION

• World Cities: Large cities that are important globally.

  • Connected in business, culture, and politics; key examples include London, New York, and Tokyo.

6.4 THE SIZE AND DISTRIBUTION OF CITIES

• Urban Concepts:

  • Urban Hierarchy: Different cities have different roles and sizes.

  • Rank-Size Rule: Second largest city has half the population of the largest.

  • Primate City: A city that has a lot more people and influence than others nearby.

  • Gravity Model: Bigger cities have more interactions.

  • Central Place Theory: Explains how cities spread out based on what they sell.

6.5 THE INTERNAL STRUCTURE OF US CITIES

• Bid-Rent Theory: Land prices go down the farther you get from the city center.

• Burgess Concentric Zone Model: Chicago’s basic layout based on social classes.

• Hoyt Sector Model: Cities grow along transport routes.

• Multiple Nuclei Model: Cities develop multiple centers.

• Galactic City Model: Focus on suburban areas and growth along transport routes.

6.6 DENSITY & LAND USE

• Population Density: How many people live in an area.

• Residential Land Use: How land is used for living impacts city layout and services.

  • High Density: Near city center and tall buildings.

  • Medium Density: Transitional areas.

  • Low Density: Suburban areas with larger lots.

6.7 INFRASTRUCTURE

• Infrastructure: Basic systems (roads, schools, etc.) that support city life.

  • Quality affects society and environment.

6.8 URBAN SUSTAINABILITY

• Sustainable Cities: Aim to minimize environmental impacts.

  • Strategies include mixed-use developments and promoting walking and transport options.

  • Initiatives: Green spaces and smart urban growth policies.

6.9 URBAN DATA

• Qualitative Data: Descriptions of people's perceptions.

• Quantitative Data: Numbers and statistics for planning needs.

6.10 CHALLENGES OF URBAN CHANGES

• Redlining: Past practices of segregating housing.

• Blockbusting: Encouraging home sales based on race.

• Economic Disparities: Lack of access to food and healthcare due to location.

6.11 CHALLENGES OF URBAN SUSTAINABILITY

• Urban Sprawl Issues: More pollution and environmental problems.

• Sustainability Responses: Planning regions better, reusing old sites, and creating growth boundaries for better urban practices.