Contemporary Urban Environments

Question 1

define urbanisation

Answer 1

the increase in then proportion of people living in cities and urban areas

Question 2

define urban growth

Answer 2

the increase in the total population of a town or city

Question 3

define urban expansion

Answer 3

the increase in the size or geographical footprint of a city

Question 4

define urban sprawl

Answer 4

the unplanned and uncontrolled spreads of cities into surrounding regions

Question 5

define urbanism

Answer 5

the culture and way of being in urban environments

Question 6

define mega city

Answer 6

a city populated by over 10 million people

Question 7

define world city

Answer 7

centres of economic, cultural, and political activity that are strongly interconnected and together control the global systems of finance and commerce

Question 8

define deindustrialisation

Answer 8

the reduction of industrial activity or capacity in a region or economy

Question 9

define decentralisation

Answer 9

the movement of population, industry and services from urban centres to outlying areas

Question 10

define rebranding

Answer 10

ways in which a place is redeveloped and marketed so that it gains a new identity

Question 11

define economic inequality

Answer 11

the difference between levels of living standards and income

Question 12

define cultural diversity

Answer 12

the existence of a variety of cultural or ethnic groups within a society

Question 13

define urban social exclusion

Answer 13

when groups of people live apart from the larger population due to factors such as wealth or race

Question 14

define diaspora

Answer 14

a group of people with a similar heritage or homeland who have settled somewhere else

Question 15

define social segregation

Answer 15

economic and social problems faced by residents in areas of multiple deprivation

Question 16

define rural-urban migration

Answer 16

the movement of people from the countryside to the city

Question 17

define natural growth

Answer 17

increase in the population due to number of births being higher than number of deaths

Question 18

define bottom up development

Answer 18

improvement to an area utilising what is already there

Question 19

define top down development

Answer 19

an area is completely redeveloped

Question 20

define suburbanisation

Answer 20

the movement of people, industry and services from inner to outer urban areas

Question 21

define ribbon development

Answer 21

when housing grows out from a town along a main road

Question 22

define counterurbanisation

Answer 22

the movement of people and businesses from urban to rural areas

Question 23

define reurbanisation

Answer 23

the movement of people back towards the city

Question 24

define urban resurgence

Answer 24

the regeneration, both economic and structural, of an urban area which suffered a period of decline

Question 25

define gentrification

Answer 25

the restoration of run-down urban areas by the middles class, resulting in the displacement of lower income people

Question 26

define urban decline

Answer 26

the deterioration of an urban area due to a decrease in economic activity

Question 27

define urban form

Answer 27

the physical characteristics of built-up areas, including the shape, size, density and configuration of settlements

Question 28

define urban morphology

Answer 28

the spatial structure and organisation of an urban area

Question 29

define fortress landscapes

Answer 29

landscapes designed around security, protection, surveillance and exclusion

Question 30

define post modern western cities

Answer 30

an urban form associated with changes in structure, architecture and planning, reflecting the changed socioeconomic conditions of the late 20th century

Question 31

define fragmentation (pmwc)

Answer 31

cities are more ethnically diverse but social and cultural inequalities are more common

Question 32

define globalisation (pmwc)

Answer 32

shops, services and businesses are global brands and companies rather than local

Question 33

define simulation (pmwc)

Answer 33

architecture becomes an expression of art and so buildings often simulate heritage or other famous buildings/places

Question 34

define fortification (pmwc)

Answer 34

security is a key concern so fortress landscapes are common

Question 35

define beautification (pmwc)

Answer 35

architecture is an expression of art over function, and very varied with decorative ornamentation often reflecting heritage

Question 36

define information (pmwc)

Answer 36

dominated by service and knowledge economies, many people are employed in these sectors, global companies are located in these cities

Question 37

define gentrification (pmwc)

Answer 37

process leading to change in the social landscape, increased polarisation between people in cities in terms of wealth and access to services

Question 38

define decentralisation (pmwc)

Answer 38

edge cities

Question 39

define privatisation (pmwc)

Answer 39

cities are becoming more privately owned

Question 40

what are the 9 characteristics of post modern western cities

Answer 40

fragmentation, globalisation, simulation, fortification, beautification, information, gentrification, decentralisation, privatisation

Question 41

define self segregation

Answer 41

the separation of a religious or ethnic group from the rest of society by choice of the group itself

Question 42

define the urban heat island effect

Answer 42

the phenomenon in which urban areas are warmer than the surrounding countryside

Question 43

define photochemical pollution

Answer 43

air pollution that forms from an interaction between chemicals in the air and sunlight

Question 44

define microclimate

Answer 44

the small-scale variations in temperature, precipitation, humidity, wind speed and evaporation that occur in a particular environment

Question 45

define particulate air pollution

Answer 45

a form of air pollution caused by the release of particles and noxious gases into the atmosphere

Question 46

define albedo

Answer 46

the reflectivity of a surface

Question 47

define urban greening

Answer 47

the process of increasing and preserving open space such as public parks and gardens in urban areas

Question 48

define sky view factor

Answer 48

the amount of openness between buildings

Question 49

define smog

Answer 49

air pollution by a mixture of smoke and fog

Question 50

define ecological footprint

Answer 50

a measure of how much an individual consumes and the waste they produce, expressed in area of land

Question 51

define sustainable

Answer 51

development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs