Chapter 4, Section 4 Urban Geography

Urban Geography 4.4 The study of how people use space in cities is called urban geography Cities are centers of business and culture They serve as the birthplace of innovation and change Urban lifestyles are different from those of towns, villages and rural areas An urban area develops around a central city A built up area in the surrounding area of the main city is called a suburb If it has open land separating from the city it is called an exurb All these areas together form what is called a metropolitan area A megalopolis is formed when several metropolitan areas grow together The dramatic rise in the number of cities and the number of people living in cities since the Industrial Revolution is called urbanization

City Location Many cities are found in locations that allow good transportation: river valleys, lakes, coastlines Cities may grow close to resources Sacramento grew from a gold discovery Cities are often places were goods are shifted from one form of transportation to another Along the Fall Line at the Piedmont Chicago lies where railroads meet a lake Cities may benefit from specific functions Pittsburgh: Steel Brasilia: Government San Diego: Navy port Knoxville: University

Basic land use patterns found in cities are Residential: single- and multi-family housing Industrial: factories and assembly plants Commercial: used for private business and selling of retail products The core of the city is almost always based on commercial activity and is called the central business district (CBD) Generally, the further away from the CBD you are the lower the value of the land

The city is the center of many functions Government Commercial offices and shopping Education, culture and entertainment Warehousing and manufacturing Residential Transportation systems can give geographers clues to the distribution of functions