Lecture 4 - The North American Urban System

Question 1

Why was modern city planning poor?

Answer 1

Because of Sprawling

Question 2

What is needed with city growth?

Answer 2

Transportation and Expansion

Question 3

What is the scale for urban systems?

Answer 3

Global, National regional, Metropolitan

Question 4

What is meant by Global urban system?

Answer 4

All major cities act as hubs, everything flows through cities, globalization, seamless global connections

Question 5

What is meant by National regional urban system?

Answer 5

Example, Canadian Railway, connecting regions

Question 6

What is meant by Metropolitan urban system?

Answer 6

Example, Vancouver proper and metro Vancouver

Question 7

What is a Primate City?

Answer 7

Cities that concentrate a high degree of the entire national population or of national political, intellectual, or economic life (eg. Paris, France and Bangkok, Thailand) Usually city with highest population.

Question 8

What is a Gateway City?

Answer 8

A city that serves as a link between one country or region and others because of its physical location (eg. Vancouver, Sydney, New York)

Question 9

What is a World City?

Answer 9

Centres of the world economy, places where critical decision making and interaction take place with regard to global economic, cultural, and political issues (eg. London, Tokyo, New York)

Question 10

What are four major themes of cities?

Answer 10

Economic, Culture, Political and Population

Question 11

What is Mercantile Cities Model (1970)

Answer 11

1. Exploration - explore and bring info back
2. Harvest resources - fur, trade with Europe
3. Farm based staple production - settlement, trade with Atlantic coast
4. Trade with interior central land

Question 12

Who created Central Place Theory?

Answer 12

Walter Christaller (1873-1969)

Question 13

What is Central Place Theory?

Answer 13

Attempts to answer the relationship between cities and their hinterlands (the region to which any city provides services, and upon which it draws for its needs).

Question 14

What shape does Central Place Theory use?

Answer 14

Hexagon, seen in nature and architecture, very space efficient shape

Question 15

What are 3 requirements for Central Place Theory?

Answer 15

1. The hinterlands must divide the space completely, so that every point is inside the hinterland of some market
2. All markets hinterlands must be of uniform shape and size (unrealistic as geography stops hinterlands from being uniform in shape)
3. Within each market region, the distance from the central place to the farthest peripheral location much be minimal

Question 16

What are the 5 paradigm shifts for transportation?

Answer 16

Canals, rail, roads, air, maglev

Question 17

What kind of development is Vancouver building?

Answer 17

Transit Oriented Development