Terms/Concepts
Site
The physical qualities of a place that a city occupies, including water availability, soil, and natural resources.
Burgess Concentric-Zone Model
Illustrates the relationship between economic status and distance from the CBD, showing zones of transition and residential areas.
situation
The relative location of a city, which develops trade routes and transportation connections.
Urbanization
The process of cities growing as populations move from rural to urban areas, significantly impacting city structures and functions.
Boomburbs
Rapidly growing suburban cities with populations over 100,000.
Megacities and Metacities
Large metropolitan areas with over 10 million people, often resulting from urbanization in poorer countries.
Metacities have 20 million people
Hoyt Sector Model
A modified version of the concentric model that shows urban development in wedge-shaped sectors based on transportation routes.
Squatter Settlements
Informal housing developments that arise due to rapid urbanization, often lacking basic services.
Edge Cities
Suburban areas with a concentration of retail and office spaces.
Exurbs
Residential areas beyond the suburbs, often in rural settings.
World cities
Cities that have significant influence globally, often serving as centers for finance and multinational corporations.
Harris and Ullman Multiple-Nuclei Model
Suggests that cities grow around multiple nodes rather than a single center, reflecting modern urban complexity.
gentrification
The process of renovating urban neighborhoods, which can lead to increased property values and displacement of lower-income residents.
Infrastructure Inequality
Disparities in infrastructure quality can exacerbate economic inequalities within urban areas.
Smart-Growth Policies
Strategies to create sustainable communities and limit urban sprawl.
Urban Sprawl
The unrestricted growth of suburbs, leading to the development of large areas outward from the city.
Galactic City Model
Describes post-industrial cities where services dominate and transportation is centered around highways and edge cities.
Primate City
The lead city in a country based on size and influence.
Mixed-Use Zoning
Development that combines residential, retail, and office spaces in one area.
Rank-Size Rule:
The second largest city has half the population of the largest city.
High-Density Housing
Medium-Density Housing
Low-Density Housing
High-Density Housing
A residential area that allows many people to live in a small area. It maximizes land use and supports growth.
Medium-Density Housing
The middle ground in urban planning. It is between city apartments and single family suburban homes. It prevents urban sprawl and has good walkability.
Low-Density Housing
A small number of housing units in a large amount of land. It includes suburban sprawl, car dependency, and single family homes.
Christaller’s Central Place Theory
Explains the distribution of goods and services based on population thresholds and ranges.
Infilling, gentrification, etc
Instead of growing a city outwards, gaps in the city are filled. This decreases suburban sprawl and helps decrease infrastructure.
Range and threshold
The maximum distance people are willing to travel for a good or service. The minimum population needed for a good or service to exist profitably.
explain models in Latin America, Africa, and Southeast Asia
Griffon Ford model- Latin American cities use the Laws of the Indies made by Spain to control the structure of its colonies. This caused Latin American colonies to look like Spanish cities. The CBD is a spine and everything else goes around it.
Southeast Asia model- It is like the Griffon Ford model but there isn’t a CBD. Agriculture and industry is on the end while suburbs are mixed along the model.
Africa model- Influenced by European colonizers. 3 CBDs- European streets with grid patterns, open air markets, and traditional sidewalks with vendors.