Chapter 9: The Urban Environment Flashcards
the geographic distribution of people in rural areas, towns, and cities significantly influences the:
Social aspects of population growth
environmental aspects of population growth
economic aspects of population growth
Wind can move a dust dome from over a city to nearby rural areas. T/F
True
Demographers project that cities will be home to two-thirds of all humans by 2050. T/F
True
What has the urban sprawl done to the environment
lead to an increase in water pollution
among other things…
Local heat buildup in an area of high population density is called
Urban heat island
What effect did transportation have on urban development in the 20th century
It increased the spatial scales of cities
A dome of heated air that surrounds an urban area and contains a lot of air pollution is called
dust dome
Evidence exists that prolonged exposure to high levels of noise causes a permanent constriction of blood vessels, which can increase the blood pressure, thereby contributing to heart disease. T/F
True
Both political and economic factors influence land use planning. T/F
True
Urbanization occurs because
Rural areas are often the sites of educational and cultural opportunity *
Problems associated with the rapid growth rates of large urban areas include
Strain on the educational system
Poverty
Increased urban violence
Increased air pollution
Former brownfields can be converted into
Residential sites
Recreational sites
Commercial sites
Urban ecologists study processes, trends, and patterns of cities in the context of:
POET
Cities in highly developed countries often have a higher ratio of men to women. T/F
False
Cities often exhibit
Greater heterogeneity with respect to socioeconomic status
Curitiba was the first city in Brazil to use a special low-polluting fuel made of diesel fuel, soybean extract, and alcohol. What is true about these benefits?
Reduced pollution *
Cities with more than 10 Million inhabitants are called
megacities
What does smart growth do
Creates communities that encourage pedestrian commutes
Preserves open spaces
Preserves farmlands
Incorporates compact development into its strategy
The design of cities in which tall, multiple-unit residential buildings are close to shopping and jobs, and all are connected by public transportation is termed:
Compact development
Sustainable cities exhibit these characteristics
Strong economies
A cultural sense of community
Enhancement of the well-being of current generations
Enhancement of the well-being of future generations
three urban revolutions
Agriculture - formation of towns and cities
Industrial Revolution
Today - greatest population growth in cities ever
Urbanizations
the process in which people increasingly move from rural areas to densely populated cities
Urban agglomeration
an urbanized core region that consists of several adjacent cities or megacities and their surrounding developed suburbs
Urban ecosystem
a heterogeneous, dynamic urban area studied in the context of a boarder ecological system
POET
Population
Organization
Environment
Technology
brownfield
an urban area of abandoned, vacant factories, warehouses, and/or homes whose redevelopment is hindered due to possible contamination
food desert
a neighborhood in which low-quality processed goods are far easier to obtain than good, healthy foods
Land-use planning
the process of deciding the best uses for land in a given area
Suburban sprawl
a patchwork of vacant and developed tracts around the edges of cities; contains a low population density
In less than 20 years (by 2030), the urban populations of Africa and Asia are expected to double, T/F
True
In 2008, half of the population officially lived in cities T/F
True
By 2030 the towns and cities of the developing world will make up what percentage of the world’s urban humanity
81%
During the first wave of urbanization in north america, it took over 200 years to reach a 56% urban population. How long will it take developing countries, during the second wave of urbanization to achieve a similar percentage?
80 years
Why are cities a good thing if built properly?
concentrate half of the earth’s population on less than 3% of its land area
The impact of globalization on cities especially in developing countries includes “cookie cutter” architecture that increases energy consumption T/F
true
more energy to keep single home running
As villages eventually grow into towns and cities, their air core temperature rises about
2-6 C
What percentage of natural disasters that resulted in loss of life occurred in developing countries in the past 20 years?
90%
What are the impacts of urban systems?
Coastal flooding
sea level rise
mixing salt water with fresh water
provoking migration to other urban areas
endangering critical ecosystems supplying ecological services and natural resources to urban areas
Why is the LECZs so worried about Africa and Asia when it comes to sea level rise?
They live near the coasts
Asia has 3/4 of the worlds population
Why are small urban cities worse for the environment then megacities?
their planning and implementation is weak and can’t plan greenly
More people will make up a large part of future urban growth T/F
True
More urban growth stems from migration today than from natural increase T/F
True
Environmental problems of urban areas
rural areas shrinking and urban grows
hydrologic cycle messed up - runoff
storm systems - can become polluted
untreated runoff
suburban expansion and brownfields and sprawl
