Contemporary urban environments key terms Flashcards
Urbanisation
An increase in the proportion of a country’s population living in a town or city
Counter urbanisation
Population movement from large urban areas to smaller urban settlements and rural areas
Suburbanisation
The decentralisation of people, employments and services towards the edges of an urban area
Urban resurgence
Regeneration, both economic and structural, of an urban area which has suffered a period decline
Urban growth
The increase in the total population of a town or city
Urban expansion
The increase in size or geographical footprint of a city
Mega city
A metropolitan area with a total population in excess of ten million people
World city
Cities which are seen to have an important role in the global economic system
Deindustrialisation
The long term decline of a country’s manufacturing, due to mechanisation, competition and reduce in need for products causing a loss in jobs
Urban policy
Strategies used by local or national government to develop urban areas and reduce urban issues
Urban forms
Relates to the physical characteristics that go towards making up an urban area. This will include; shape, size, density of population and configuration of the settlement
Edge cities
Self contained settlements which have emerged beyond the the original city boundaries and developed as cities in their own right
Fortress landscapes
Refers to landscapes designed around security, protection, surveillance and exclusion
Gentrified areas
Buying and renovating properties often in more run down areas by wealthier individuals
Postmodernism
The changes to western cultures and societies in the late 20th century
Poverty
An absolute term referring to a poor standard of living which doesn’t change over time
Inequality
Refers to the economic differences between people at a variety of scales. This is all relative and not absolute like poverty
Social segregation
Groups of people living apart from the larger population for a variety of factors
Cultural diversity
Existence of a variety of cultural or ethnic groups within a society
Urban social exclusion
Economic and social problems faced by residents in areas of multiple deprivation
Diaspora
A group of people with similar heritage or homeland who have settled elsewhere in the world
Urban heat island
When urban areas are warmer than their rural surroundings
Venturi effect
The effect of squeezing the airflow, increased as buildings tend to get taller towards the city centre
Albedo
This is when heat absorbed from isolation is reflected out the material into the surroundings
Specific heat capacity
The amount of heat energy a surface can hold and how quickly it heats up
Particulate
The release of particles and noxious gases into the atmosphere
Photochemical
Creates smog consisted of ozone and peroxyacetly nitrate
SUDS
A sequence of water management practices and facilities designed to drain surface water in a manner that will provide a more sustainable approach
Sustained development
Meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs
Liveability
The characteristics of a city, which improve the quality of life for the people living there
Sustainable city
A city, which provides employment, a high standard of living, a clean, healthy environment and fair governance for all its residents
Ecological footprint
The total area of productive land and water required to produce the resources a population consumes and absorb the waste produced
Dereliction
Buildings that have become dilapidated after being abandoned
