Urban Geography
Key Terms-Scale Global Individual city
Key Terms-Definition Size Density Heterogeneity Essential definition Related specialization competition Heterogeneity Generally more tolerant of diverse behavior More feeling of isolation & indifference reported
Key Term--City Urban settlement that has been legally incorporated into an independent, self-governing unit.
Key Term-Urbanized Area A central city plus its contiguous build- up suburbs where population density exceeds 1000 persons per square mile. Approx 70% of US citizens live in Urban areas Few statistics are available to work with urban areas for geographers
Key Term—Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) Area of influence of a city Urbanized area with a population of at least 50,000 County within which the city is located Adjacent counties with a high population density (at least 25 per square mile) Large percentage of persons working in the central city’s county (at least 50%)
Key term-Micropolitan statistical area Include urbanized areas between 10,000-50,000 inhabitants. About 10% of Americans live in micropolitan areas
Key Term--filtering Large houses built by wealthy families in 19th century They are subdivided by absentee landlords into smaller dwellings for low income families Successive waves of lower-income people Ultimate result may be abandonment of the dwelling
Key Term-redlining Bank process of drawing lines on a map Used to identify area where they will refuse to loan money for mortgages Families in those areas have a hard time borrowing money to buy or improve properties It is illegal, but difficult to enforce US cities in 50s— “White Flight” Banks must now demonstrate that inner-city neighborhoods get fair share of money.
Key Term--gentrification Middle-class people move into deteriorated inner-city neighborhoods and renovate the housing Drawn to affordable housing, size, style, etc. Drives up rents & property values in area Public expenditures for renovations have been criticized as subsidies for the middle class
Key Term-Edge Cities Cities that develop along the beltway or ring road Lack physical, social and economic problems of neighborhoods Nodes of consumer services
Key Term-squatter settlements Mostly in LDCs Due to housing shortage Mapping project—Nairobi http://mapkibera.org/ Many terms Barrios, barriadas, favelas—latin America Bidonvills-North Africa Bustees-India Gecekondu-Turkey Kampongs-Malaysia Barungbarong-Philippines
Global Trends Increasing % of people in cities
Urbanization trends-resources
Urbanization trends--health
Global Trends--MDCs higher % of urban residents Process of urbanization that started in 1800s (industrialization) largely over Cities still offer additional amenities
Global Trends--LDCs LDCs % living in cities has risen rapidly in recent years Industrialization large cause of urbanization Rapid population growth means urban jobs not guaranteed More very large urban settlements (6/10 most populous cities) Not a measure of improved development
Individual City Trends Processes of Deterioration and Renewal Doughnut effect
City Trends Public Housing US—2% UK->33% Other Europe-govt. supports private housing
Individual City Trends Suburbs Exurbs Edge Cities
Individual City Trends—recent years Trends toward the center Europe Traditional US New (post-industrialization) Old (pre-industrialization) Recent years—is it a trend?
Individual City Trends—Inner City problems Perpetual underclass Homelessness Culture of poverty Crime Ethnic and racial segregation Annexation….
Individual City trends-suburban problems Peripheral model—edge cities Sprawl Infrastructure & traffic (rush hour) New transit systems In 2000, 90% of Americans said they would like to live in suburbs Suburban segregation (commercial & manufacturing, single social class)
Key Theories-Concentric Zone
Key Theories—Concentric Zone City grows outward from central area Inner ring—non-residential activities are concentrated Second ring, zone in transition (industry and poorer-quality housing) Third ring, working class homes and families Fourth ring, newer and more spacious homes Fifth ring—commuters’ zone
Key Theories—Sector Model
Key Theories-Sector Model City develops sectors, not rings Certain areas are attractive for various reasons (ie. Sw Paris) As the city grows, it expands outward in a wedge from the center Once a district with high-class housing is established, most expensive is built on outer edge Industrial and retail activities develop in other sectors, along transportation lines
Key Theory—Multiple Nuclei Model
Key Theories-Multiple Nuclei Model Cities have more than one center (nodes) around which activities revolve Port Airport Business center University Parks Some activities are attracted to particular nodes, others try to avoid them Ie heavy industry versus high class housing Universities attract well-educated residents, pizzerias, bookstores