Urban Geography Trends and Key Terms

1. Urban Geography

2. Key Terms-Scale • Global • Individual city

3. Key Terms-Definition • Size • Density • Essential definition • Related specialization • competition • Heterogeneity • Generally more tolerant of diverse behavior • More feeling of isolation & indifference reported

5. Key Term--City • Urban settlement that has been legally incorporated into an independent, self-governing unit.

6. 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

7. 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%)

8. Key term-Micropolitan statistical area • Include urbanized areas between 10,000-50,000 inhabitants. • About 10% of Americans live in micropolitan areas

9. 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

10. 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.

11. 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

12. 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

13. 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

14. Global Trends • Increasing % of people in cities • Increasing # of people in cities

17. Urbanization trends-resources

18. Urbanization trends--health

19. Global Trends--MDCs • MDCs • higher % of urban residents • Process of urbanization that started in 1800s (industrialization) largely over • Cities still offer additional amenities

20. 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

21. Individual City Trends • Processes of Deterioration and Renewal • Doughnut effect

22. City Trends • Public Housing • US—2% • UK->33% • Other Europe-govt. supports private housing

23. Individual City Trends • Suburbs • Exurbs • Edge Cities

24. Individual City Trends—recent years • Trends toward the center • Europe • Traditional US • New (post-industrialization) • Old (pre-industrialization) • Recent years—is it a trend?

25. Individual City Trends—Inner City problems • Perpetual underclass • Homelessness • Culture of poverty • Crime • Ethnic and racial segregation • Annexation….

26. 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)

28. Key Theories-Concentric Zone

29. 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

30. Key Theories—Sector Model

31. 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

32. Key Theory—Multiple Nuclei Model

33. 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