Chapter 13: Urban Patterns The Cultural Landscape: An Introduction to Human Geography

Why Do Services Cluster Downtown? CBD land uses Central business districts (CBDs) Retail services in the CBD Retailers with a high threshold Retailers with a high range Retailers serving downtown workers Business services in the CBD

CBD of Charlotte, NC Figure 13-1

Why Do Services Cluster Downtown? Competition for land in the CBD High land costs Some of the most expensive real estate in the world = Tokyo Intensive land use Underground areas Skyscrapers “Vertical geography”

Why Do Services Cluster Downtown? Activities excluded from the CBD Lack of industry in the CBD Modern factories require large, one-story parcels of land Lack of residents in the CBD Push and pull factors involved CBDs outside North America Less dominated by commercial considerations.

Where Are People Distributed in Urban Areas? Models of urban structure Are used to explain where people live in cities Three models, all developed in the city of Chicago Concentric zone model Sector model Multiple nuclei model

Concentric Zone Model Figure 13-4

Sector Model Figure 13-5

Multiple Nuclei Model Figure 13-6

Where Are People Distributed in Urban Areas? Geographic application of the models Models can be used to show where different social groups live in the cities Census tracts Social area analysis Criticism of the models Models may be too simple Models may be outdated

Where Are People Distributed in Urban Areas? Applying the models outside North America European cities Less developed countries Colonial cities Cities since independence Squatter settlements

Income Distribution in the Paris Region Figure 13-10

Model of a Latin American City Figure 13-14

Why Do Inner Cities Face Distinctive Challenges? Inner-city physical issues Most significant = deteriorating housing Filtering Redlining Urban renewal Public housing Renovated housing Gentrification

Racial Change in Chicago Figure 13-16

Why Do Inner Cities Face Distinctive Challenges? Inner-city social issues The underclass An unending cycle of social and economic issues Homelessness Culture of poverty

Why Do Inner Cities Face Distinctive Challenges? Inner-city economic issues Eroding tax base Cities can either reduce services or raise taxes Impact of the recession Housing market collapse

Foreclosures in Baltimore Figure 13-18

Why Do Suburbs Face Distinctive Challenges? Urban expansion Annexation Defining urban settlements The city Urbanized areas Metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) Metropolitan divisions Micropolitan statistical areas

Annexation in Chicago Figure 13-19

City, Urbanized Area, and MSA of St. Louis Figure 13-20

Why Do Suburbs Face Distinctive Challenges? Urban expansion Local government fragmentation Council of government Consolidations of city and county governments Federations Overlapping metropolitan areas

Why Do Suburbs Face Distinctive Challenges? Peripheral model Edge cities Density gradient Cost of suburban sprawl Suburban segregation Residential segregation Suburbanization of businesses

Density Gradient Figure 13-23

Suburban Stress Figure 13-25

Why Do Suburbs Face Distinctive Challenges? Transportation and suburbanization Motor vehicles More than 95 percent of all trips = made by car Public transit Advantages of public transit Transit travelers take up less space Cheaper, less pollutant, and more energy efficient than an automobile Suited to rapidly transport large number of people to small area Public transit in the United States Used primarily for rush-hour community for workers into and out of CBD Small cities-minimal use Most Americans prefer to commute by automobile

Subway and Tram Lines in Brussels, Belgium Figure 13-28

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