Urban Theorists
Measurement
U.S.Cities
Methodology
Theories
100

This urban sociologist developed the concentric zone model to describe urban land use.

Who is Ernest Burgess?

100

This term describes the number of people living per unit of land area.

What is population density?

100

Known for its iconic "L" transit system, this city is a hub for transportation and urban sociology.

What is Chicago?

100

This type of map is commonly used to represent socioeconomic data across neighborhoods or regions.

What is a choropleth map?

100

This theory suggests that urban development is shaped by local power elites who prioritize economic gain.

What is the Growth Machine theory?

200

This theorist’s concept of "The Growth Machine" highlights how urban development is driven by coalitions of local elites.

Who is Harvey Molotch?

200

A measure of the connectivity of transportation systems in a city.

What is network centrality?

200

This city is characterized by its streetcar system, the French Quarter, and a history tied to jazz music.

What is New Orleans?

200

This allows researchers to analyze and visualize spatial data.

What is Geographic Information Systems (GIS)?

200

This spatial model describes cities as a series of concentric circles, with the central business district at the core.

What is the concentric zone model?

300

This theorist wrote Urbanism as a Way of Life, emphasizing the psychological and social impacts of urbanization.

Who is Louis Wirth?

300

This index measures the evenness of two or more groups across a geographic space.

What is the dissimilarity index?

300

This sprawling city in Texas has an extensive highway system and is home to NASA's Space Center.

What is Houston?

300

A method used to examine spatial relationships between different phenomena or features.

What is spatial correlation analysis?

300

This theory highlights the social production of space and its role in reinforcing power structures.

What is Lefebvre's theory of the social production of space?

400

Known for her critique of modern urban planning, she argued for walkable, community-oriented city design.

Who is Jane Jacobs?

400

The measure of how far resources or opportunities are from a population center.

What is spatial accessibility?

400

Known for its grid street plan and landmarks like Times Square, this city is a global center of culture and finance.

What is New York City?

400

This process involves combining data from smaller geographic units to analyze patterns at a larger scale.

What is spatial aggregation?

400

This urban theory explains the economic and social roles of cities within a global network.

What is global city theory?

500

This theorist's work on the "Global City" examines cities as central nodes in global economic networks.

Who is Saskia Sassen?

500

This term refers to the boundaries within which specific laws, services, or policies apply.

What is a jurisdiction?

500

This city was rebuilt after a devastating 1906 earthquake and is known for its iconic Golden Gate Bridge and hilly terrain.

What is San Francisco?

500

This term describes unintended errors that arise when aggregating spatial data, such as grouping neighborhoods into larger regions.

What is the modifiable areal unit problem (MAUP)?

500

This ecological framework examines how urban environments adapt over time, similar to natural ecosystems.

What is urban ecology?