Study Guide for Urban Land Use and Sustainability

UNIT 6: CITIES AND URBAN LAND-USE PATTERNS AND PROCESSES

Unit Overview

• Cities and their suburbs constantly change: layouts, functions, and sizes.

• Key questions geographers study: Why do people move within or out of urban areas?

Models of Urban Areas

• Geographers use models to show:
    - Distribution and size of cities.
    - Patterns that explain city growth and connectivity.
    - Organization and development of cities through zoning for commerce, housing, and other functions.

Urban Landscapes and Urban Challenges

• Urban environments express community values and attitudes through physical spaces (e.g., airport locations).

• Urbanization brings both opportunities and challenges:
    - Issues from decline (e.g., industrial movement out of cities).
    - Sustainability challenges (e.g., preserving air and water quality).

Enduring Understandings

• (PS0-6) Growth of cities varies due to geographical and resource factors.

• (IMP-6) Built landscapes reflect population attitudes and power balances.

• (SPS-6) Urban areas face distinct economic, political, cultural, and environmental problems.

CHAPTER 15: ORIGIN, DISTRIBUTION, AND SYSTEMS OF CITIES

Topics 6.1-6.4

Topic 6.1: The Origin and Influences of Urbanization

• Learning Objective: Explain processes that drive urbanization and suburbanization.

• Essential Question: What processes initiate and drive urbanization?

• Classification of settlements:
    - Rural Areas: Low population densities (farms, villages).
    - Urban Areas: High population densities (cities).
    - Suburbs: Residential areas adjacent to cities.

Factors Driving Urbanization

• Settlement Definition: Permanent human population areas.

• Agricultural Settlements: First appeared ~12,000 years ago—enabled urban characteristics:
    - Agricultural surplus developed from irrigation.
    - Emergence of social stratification; ruling class formed.
    - Job specialization led to cities developing as economic hubs for services, manufacturing, and trade.

• Urbanization: Continuous development cycle and causes/effects of existing cities’ growth.
    - Statistic: Today >50% of the global population lives in cities; projected 60% by 2030, 70% by 2050—mostly in less-developed countries (LDCs).
    - Urbanization presents opportunities but can also lead to challenges.

Influence of Site and Situation on Cities

• Site: Immediate local characteristics (physical features, climate).

• Situation: Locations relative to surrounding features (e.g., proximity to resources or transportation).

Early City-States

• City-State Definition: Urban center and surrounding territories with independent governance and functionality.

• Kickstarted by urban hearths:
    - Examples of Urban Hearths:
      - Tigris-Euphrates Valley (Mesopotamia).
      - Nile River Valley (Egypt).
      - Indus River Valley (Pakistan).
      - Huang-He floodplain (China).
    - Other centers in Mesoamerica and the Andean region.

Centers for Services

• Cities provide services in exchange for food supplied by rural areas.

• Early cities became specialized service centers (government, religion, and others).

Defining and Legal Definitions of a City

• City Definition: Area with a high concentration of people.

• Urban area includes the central city and surrounding developed land.

• Legal Definition: Higher-density areas with recognized political boundaries.

Metropolitan Areas

• Collection of adjacent interconnected cities with high population density.

• MSA (Metropolitan Statistical Area): at least 50,000 people with significant economic/social integration.
    - Example: Denver MSA includes several legally defined cities but commonly referred to by the largest city name.

Population Characteristics and Urban Diversity

• High social heterogeneity in urban areas.

• Immigration: Major factor for diversity (40% foreign-born in some large cities).

• Diversity Implications: Cities attract individuals with unique cultures/interests due to relative anonymity.

Transportation and Communication Effects

• Urban expansion driven by transportation improvements (e.g., rail, auto).

• Borchert's Transportation Model: Urban growth periods based on transportation technology:
    - Sail-Wagon (1790-1830): Importance of water ports.
    - Iron Horse (1830-1870): Growth of river cities and rail networks.
    - Steel Rail (1870-1920): Emergence of transcontinental railways.
    - Auto-Air-Amenity (1920-1970): Sprawling city development due to automobiles.

Transportation’s Impact on Cities

• Changes in infrastructure:
    - Cities initially shaped by pedestrian movement.
    - Horse-and-buggy era increased city size.
    - Streetcars spread population outward—concentrated growth along lines.
    - Automobile prevalence caused expansion far from the urban core.
    - Importance of multi-modal transportation systems in future city growth.

Migration and Population Growth

• Rural-to-urban migration influenced by push factors such as economic opportunities.

• Rapid migration observed in semiperiphery/periphery countries (e.g., China, Brazil).

Economic Development and Government Policies

• Cities as engines of economic growth; leaders create policies to guide growth.

• Local incentives include low-cost loans/taxes to attract businesses (e.g. Pittsburgh attracting high-tech industries).

KEY TERMS

• Urbanization, suburbanization, metropolitan area, social heterogeneity, Borchert's model, etc.
   

CHAPTER 16: URBAN STRUCTURE

Topics 6.5-6.7

Topic 6.5: The Internal Structure of Cities

• Learning Objective: Explain internal city structures using models.

• Cities are centers of economic/political power characterized by:
    - Functional zonation: Specific land-use zones within the city.

• Basic urban zones:
    - CBD: Commercial heart of the city, high land value.
    - Industrial zones: Warehousing and manufacturing.
    - Residential zones: Areas for living.

Urban Models

• Concentric Zone Model (Burgess): Rings surrounding CBD, representing socioeconomic status.

• Sector Model (Hoyt): Wedges of land use radiating from CBD based on transportation.

• Multiple-Nuclei Model (Harris/Ullman): Functional areas develop around multiple centers or nodes.

• Galactic City Model (Harris): Modern suburban growth around a central city with independent nodes.

World-Regional City Models

• Diverse urban structures in regions (Europe, Islamic cities, Latin American cities):
    - Variations include densely packed centers, unique residential zones, and historical influences.

KEY TERMS (for chapter 16)

• Central business district (CBD), functional zones, sector model, multiple nuclei model, etc.

CHAPTER 17: URBAN CHALLENGES AND SUSTAINABILITY

Topics 6.8-6.11

Topic 6.8: Urban Sustainability

• Learning Objective: Address urban design initiatives and their effects on sustainability.

• Sustainability defined as managing earth's resources without damaging the environment.

• Challenges include urban sprawl, access to services, and environmental justice.

Urban Design Policies

• Smart-Growth Policies: Encourage compact urban centers and mixed land uses, while preserving green spaces.

• New Urbanism: Fosters focused, walkable neighborhoods, including housing and community service accessibility.

• Transit-Oriented Development (TOD): Encourages development near mass transit hubs to reduce car dependency.

Environmental Problems in Cities

• Major issues:
    - Urban canyons and heat islands.
    - Pollution effects from industrial and residential activity.
    - Wildlife conflict due to urban expansion.

Challenges of Urban Sustainability

• Solutions require collaboration across governance levels; addressing issues like brownfields and urban renewal.

KEY TERMS

• Urban sustainability, eco-footprint, environmental justice, smart growth; new urbanism, etc.