Human Geo 13.4 Questions Flashcards

1
Q

Descirbe the job skills of inner city residents:

A

They’re very disadvantaged in competing for jobs. Because few of them complete high school, they lack technical skills. In the past, they only would’ve been able to work in factories or filing clerks, but today these jobs require tech skills. Inner-city residents don’t even have access to the remaining low-skilled jobs (custodial, fast-food) because they’re in suburbs and poorly served by public transport.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

What challenges do inner-city families face?

A

Unwed mothers give birth to 2/3 of the babies in US inner-cities, and 80% of children there live with only 1 parent. Because of inadequate childcare services, single mothers may be forced to choose between working to make money and staying at home to take care of kids. If the father or another partner moves back home, the mother may lose welfare benefits.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

What are challenges to health and safety faced in inner-city neighborhoods?

A

Inner-city neighborhoods have a high % of a city’s serious crimes like murder, and a high % of both culprits and victims are people of color. This reflects the neighborhoods’ high rates of unemployment and addiction, and some drug users get money through criminal activities. Violence may erupt when 2 gangs fight over their boundaries of drug distribution.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

Describe services in inner-city neighborhoods:

A

They lack adequate police/fire protection, shops, and healthcare facilities. Food deserts are common in low-income inner-city areas, and central cities face a growing gap between the cost of needed services in these neighborhoods and the availability of funds to pay for them.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

What are 4 reasons why a deteriorated inner-city neighborhood is attractive?

A
  1. Inner-city houses may be larger, more substantially constructed, and cheaper than houses in the suburbs.
  2. Inner-city houses may posses attractive architectural details (ornate fireplace, cornice, high ceilings, etc)
  3. Inner-city living eliminates the strain of commuting on crowded freeways or public transport for people who work downtown.
  4. Inner-city neighborhoods are near theaters, bars, restaurants, stadiums, and other recreational facilities.
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

What are revived consumer services?

A

Most consumer services locate in suburbs to be near to their residents, but some are returning to the inner city to meet day-to-day needs of residents of gentrified neighborhoods. Inner-city consumer services attract people looking for leisure activities. Several CBDs have combined new retail services with leisure services (like Boston’s Faneuil Hall Marketplace in renovated 18th century buildings).

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

Why did public housing decrease in the US?

A

With lower funding levels, public housing decreased in the US between 1980 and 2010, as the number of households needing low-rent dwellings increased. In Britain, the same thing happened because the gov’t forced local authorities to sell public houses to residents, BUT they expanded subsidies to nonprofits that build housing for groups with special needs and the poor.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

How do cities help poor families?

A

Cities try to help poor families forced to move after their housing was demolished by reimbursing them, and they’re renovating old houses specifically for lower-income families (which also helps to disperse them throughout the city). However, some public housing projects were located in now gentrified neighborhoods, so new housing replaced them (that may be too expensive for former residents).

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

Explain traffic congestion and solutions to help drivers avoid it:

A

The future health of urban areas depends on relieving traffic congestion. GPS is important in the design of intelligent transportation systems (either thru increasing road capacity or reducing demand), providing drivers with info so they can make smart decisions about avoiding congestion. Info about traffic congestion is transmitted through computers, devices, and monitors. We can get congestion alerts and alternatives on our GPS/Waze.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

In what 4 ways is demand to use congested roads being reduced?

A
  1. Congestion charges: In London, drivers pay a congestion charge of up to $15 to drive into the central area between 7am and 6pm some days.
  2. Tolls: In Toronto and CA, drivers are charged higher tolls to drive on freeways during congested times, recorded by transponders on a car.
  3. Permits: In Singapore, a driver must buy a license and demonstrate ownership of a parking space in order to drive downtown in busy times.
  4. Bans: Cars are banned from parts of the central areas of many European cities (Munich, VIenna, Zurich, etc.)
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

Residents of large cities rely on taxis & rent-a-car companies for transport. Recently, they’ve increasingly utilized vehicle sharing services in what 2 ways?

A
  1. Sharing with others a vehicle you own: People using their own car to transport passengers who arrange pickup through an app (mostly Uber)
  2. Sharing with others a vehicle that no single individual owns: People who don’t own a vehicle but want to drive themselves short-term. In some cities, electric vehicles are parked in specially marked locations.
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

How is autonomous driving possible?

A

Current vehicles can drive hands-free, and can brake automatically, parallel park, & prevent unsafe lane changes. Autonomous driving depends on 2 elements: SLAM (simultaneous localization & mapping) pinpoints the vehicles precise location using sensors provided by LIDAR and GPS, and DATMO (detection and tracking of moving objects) identifies pedestrians, animals, and other vehicles in the route of the vehicle.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

The Society of Automotive Engineers identifies what 5 levels of autonomous driving?

A
  1. Assisted Driving: Most vehicles currently have some of this; driver must always be ready (ex. cruise control).
  2. Partially Automated: System deactivates upon takeover by driver. Braking, accelerating, & steering are automatic.
  3. Highly Automated: Only automated on high-speed freeways, and the driver must pay attention and be prepared to take control.
  4. Fully Automated: Requires no driver attention, but has a steering wheel/pedals in case of emergency.
  5. Driverless: Humans do nothing except setting destination & starting up. No steering wheel/pedals.
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

What are benefits and drawbacks of autonomous vehicles?

A

Autonomous vehicles are predicted to result in fewer accidents caused by human error, provide mobility for people, and decrease the safe distance between vehicles (more can fit on the road). Many problems created by them (like liability & insurance) are still unsettled. The most significant obstacle to them may be consumer acceptance (they’re all scared!).

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

What are 3 key changes in the car of the near future?

A
  1. Power Source: More vehicles will be electricity-powered, not petroleum.
  2. Ownership: More vehicles will be shared, not owned by individuals.
  3. Autonomy: More vehicles will operate with little or no effort by a driver.
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

What 3 varieties of electrification exist?

A
  1. Plug-in Hybrid: Where the battery supplies the power at all speeds; can be recharged either by a gas engine when the car is moving OR by plugging it into an outlet. Using a gas engine to recharge extends the range of the hybrid.
  2. Fully Electric with Lithium Ion Battery: A fully electric, no gas, vehicle that won’t run when battery is discharged. In large cities, many garages/malls have recharging stations.
  3. Hydrogen Fuel Cell: Hydrogen forced through a PEM (proton exchange membrane) can be combined w/ oxygen to produce an electric charge to power a motor. These cars are being used in a few large East & West Coast cities.
17
Q

-Strategies to reduce pollution & fossil fuel dependency in the years ahead vary among countries. US and UN scientists offered a strategy with what 3 key elements?

A
  1. Sharp decrease in the use of the 3 fossil fuels
  2. Increase in the use of renewable energy.
  3. Use of carbon capture & storage (CCS), a process that involves capturing waste CO2, transporting it to a storage site, and depositing it where it won’t enter the atmosphere, normally underground.
18
Q

What is the impact on the shift away from fossil fuels in the US and the distribution of electricity sources by state?

A

Americans would rely on electricity for nearly all household activities/transportation. The challenge of reducing carbon footprint is hardest for LDCs, especially China (big manufacturing country, and there’ll need to be international cooperation and coordination. In the Pacific Northwest US, where hydroelectric is the main electricity source, recharging electric vehicles has a smaller impact on air quality than in the Midwest, and “greenest” alternative varies.

19
Q

Explain a problem that accompanies obtaining electricity for electric vehicles:

A

Electric vehicles must be plugged in, and the source of that electricity may not be sustainable (fossil fuels may be consumed to generate it at a power plant). In 2018, the US generated 27% of its electricity from coal and 35% from natural gas. Electric vehicles reduce consumption of petroleum (scarce and expensive), but more rapidly deplete natural gas or cause air pollution with coal.

20
Q

How can place be applied to urban places in China?

A

-A specific point on earth, distinguished by a particular characteristic. An urban area contains a collection of unique places (like the CBD and cultural residential areas). Shanghai’s Pudong district is a very distinctive urban place. It was farmland until 1993, when China’s gov’t designated the area to be the country’s center for international finance. Its population rapidly grew, & its high-rise buildings has become a common image of Shanghai.

21
Q

How can region be applied to urban places in China?

A

An are of Earth defined by one or more distinctive characteristics. Urban areas constitute regions with widely varying features. Shanghai’s metropolitan area has a population of 24 million. One of China’s most distinctive urban regions is Lhasa, capital of Tibet. For centuries, it was the center of Buddhist practice (home to Dalai Lama until 1959). The Potala Palace, his former residence (now a museum), dominates the region. Lhasa’s urban region is 1 of the highest in the world, framed by mountains.

22
Q

How can scale be applied to urban places in China?

A

The relationship between the portion of Earth being studied and Earth as a whole. Cities reflect the importance of the variety of scales. At local scale, cities are centers of diversity. The economic well-being and cultural vibrancy of a city depend on global economic/cultural patterns/processes. The futuristic look & massive scale of China’s rapidly growing cities contrast with the local scale of China’s smaller, traditional urban areas.

23
Q

How can space be applied to urban places in China?

A

The physical gap or interval between 2 objects. People/activities are arranged within a city according to distribution. Distinctive groups of people and activities are concentrated in various areas of the city, and its physical structure follows a regular pattern. In urban areas, space can refer to the social distance between rich & poor. Cities are centers of inequality, and in China’s urban areas, cars imported from Germany mix with bicycles.

24
Q

How can connection be applied to urban places in China?

A

Relationships among people and objects across the barrier of space. Cities are nodes of connections, and centers for transportation networks. China has become a world leader in innovative transportation systems, with the most production/sales of electric vehicles. China has 2/3 of the world total of high-speed trails, and bullet trains connect major and secondary urban areas.