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

2. 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

3. CBD of Charlotte, NC
Figure 13-1

4. 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”

5. 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.

6. 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

7. Urban Structure Models
Focus Questions:
Where do different people tend to live in urban areas?
What kind of information do you need to determine where people live in a city?
How could you use that data to help explain why people live where they do in urban areas?

8. Application
The models have many weaknesses, but they do have some application to US cities…so…we will look at information to assess which model applies to Baltimore the best

9. History of Baltimore 1729-Becomes a major seaport
Closest link to the midwest
Inner harbor-2nd most immigrants
From African American population rose from 24%-47%
From 1950-today there has been a reduction in industrial employment by 75%
1950-today there has been a 30% reduction in population
Primarily a service oriented city

10. Ethnic Breakdown of Baltimore

11. Concentric Zone Model-Burgess
In theory each ring represents different economic activity because the value of land decreases away from the CBD
Chicago is the example city
Major criticism is that rarely are “clear” zones found

12. Sector Model-Hoyt
When cities have corridors of different types of development that radiate outward like spikes from the CBD

13. Multiple Nuclei Model
When cities don’t have a specific and singular CBD, but rather there are several “nodes” of business activity

14. Urban Realms Model
Developed in the 1970’s as a reflection of the increase and devotion to the automobile
Its an update and modification of the multiple nuclei model
Based on a movement towards counter-urbanization
Based also on the ability for people to telecommute

15. Which Model Applies to Baltimore the Best?
What information would you need in order to make a decision as to what model applies to Baltimore?
How much area of the city do we need to look at to apply the model?
Some possible ideas…
Where is the CBD located?
What are the property values around the city?
How is the city zoned?
How is the city laid out?

16. Some Resources: Average Price of Homes The CBD Location
Education Centers
Comparative Maps
Current Housing Prices
Zoning Districts
Other Information???

17. So….
Use the information provided and make a decision as to what model fits Baltimore the best
Provide a thesis and AT LEAST 6 solid reasons why you chose the model you chose

18. 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

19. 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

20. Income Distribution in the Paris Region
Figure 13-10

21. Model of a Latin American City
Figure 13-14

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

23. Racial Change in Chicago
Figure 13-16

24. 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

25. 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

26. Foreclosures in Baltimore
Figure 13-18

27. 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

28. Annexation in Chicago
Figure 13-19

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

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

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

32. Density Gradient
Figure 13-23

33. Suburban Stress
Figure 13-25

34. 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

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

36. Up next: Resource Issues
The End.
Up next: Resource Issues