Unit 6 Vocab - Urban Geography Flashcards
affordability
the ability of individuals or families to pay for housing without sacrificing other essential needs, typically measured as a percentage of income spent on housing cost
balance of power
distribution of power among countries or alliances of countries
blockbusting
process by which real estate agents convince white property owners to sell their houses at low prices because of fear that persons of color will soon move into the neighborhood
boomburbs
large, rapidly growing city that retains a suburban character, even as it reaches pops typical of urban core cities
brownfields
abandoned industrial sites, real property of which the expansion, redevelopment, or reuse may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant
burgess concentric zone model
city grows outward from a central area in rings
christaller’s central place theory
theory that explains how and where central places in the urban hierarchy should be functionally and spatially distributed with respect to one another
cycles of development
patterns and stages through which countries or regions progress economically, often involving transitions from traditional to more industrialized and developed state
decentralization
degree to which decision-making authority is given to lower levels in an organization’s hierarchy
de facto segregation
segregation resulting from economic or social conditions or personal choice
disamenity zones
poorest parts of cities that in extreme cases are not even connected to regular city services and are controlled by gangs or drug lords
diverse housing options
variety of housing types (single family, townhouse, apartment, duplex) catering to different income levels and family structures
ecological footprint
measures how sustainable an individual or group of people are living in their environment
edge cities
a large node of office and retail activities on the edge of an urban area
environmental injustice
a set of actions that harm the environment while simultaneously alienating specific groups and communities
exurbs
the ring of prosperous communities beyond the suburbs, that are commuter towns for an urban area
farmland protection policies
discourages Federal activities that would convert farmland to nonagricultural purposes
field studies
research conducted in real-world settings rather than in controlled environments like laboratories
functional fragmentation of govs
organization of government into specialized departments
galactic city model
decentralized CBD, with growth occurring in suburban “edge cities” connected by highways and beltways, reflecting the rise of car-dependent urban sprawl
geographic fragmentation of govs
the dispersion of government agencies and institutions across different levels and jurisdictions
gentrification
a process of converting an urban neighborhood from a predominantly low income renter occupied area to a predominantly middle class owner occupied area
gravity model
explains how regions of human populated areas interact and are influenced by the variables of their populations and the distance between them
greenbelts
a ring of land maintained as parks, ag, or other types of open space to limit the sprawl of an urban area
harris-ullman multiple nuclei model
social groups are arranged around a collection of nodes of activities
hoyt sector model
social groups are arranged around a series of sectors, or wedges, radiating out from the cbd
inclusionary zoning
land-use policy that mandates or encourages developers to include a certain percentage of affordable housing units in new residential developments, aiming to promote mixed-income communities and address housing affordability
infilling
the construction of new buildings in underutilized or vacant land lots within urban areas
land tenure
system regulating the rights to ownership and control and usage of land
livability
All the characteristics of a community that contribute to the quality of life of the people who live there
megacities
cities with over ten million people
metacities
city with over twenty million people
mixed land use
combines residential, commercial, cultural, or institutional functions into a building, block, or neighborhood
new urbanism
seeks to encourage local community development and sustainable growth in an urban area
periphery
regions that are often economically and politically disadvantaged compared to more developed areas, known as the core
primate city
city that ranks first in a nation in terms of pop and economy
qualitative data
non-numeric info, using senses
quanititative data
numeric info
rank-size rule
a model that predicts the size of cities within a country based on their position in a ranking of cities
redlining
discriminatory practice of refusing to make loans in certain neighborhoods
regional planning
the integrated management of economic, social, and physical resources within a specific geographic area, aiming for efficient land use, infrastructure, and sustainable growth beyond the scale of individual cities or towns
residential
a region primarily designated for housing, encompassing various types of dwellings like single-family homes, apartments, and townhouses, and varying in density from low-density suburbs to high-density urban areas
sanitation
the measures and systems used to promote hygiene and prevent disease, primarily through the proper disposal of waste and the provision of clean water and sanitation facilities
semi periphery
countries that have a standard of living lower than those in the “core,” but much higher than those in the “periphery.
slow growth cities
a city that actively implements policies and practices to limit the pace and scale of new development, often aiming to reduce outward expansion and prevent urban sprawl
smart growth policies
urban planning strategies that promote sustainable, compact, and walkable communities by prioritizing mixed-use development, public transportation, and environmental protection to combat sprawl
social development
the improvement of societal well-being through advancements in social structures, cultural practices, and the quality of life for individuals, encompassing factors like education, healthcare, and social equality
squatter settlements
densely populated areas where people establish homes on land they do not own or have legal rights to
suburbanization
process of pop movement from within towns and cities to the rural urban fringe
suburban sprawl
the expansion of human populations away from central urban areas into low-density, monofunctional and usually car-dependent communities
sustainable design intitatives
planning and design approaches that aim to create urban environments that are socially, economically, and environmentally sustainable, often emphasizing compact, walkable communities, green infrastructure, and public transportation
tech capabilities
the tools, methods, and infrastructure (like computers, communication devices, and software) that enable people to collect, analyze, and utilize spatial data for understanding and addressing human geography issues
transportation-oriented development
a type of urban development that maximizes the amount of residential, business and leisure space within walking distance of public transport
urban design
the process of creating and shaping the physical environment of towns, cities, and neighborhoods, considering factors like buildings, spaces, landscapes, and their interrelationships to improve functionality and quality of life
urban growth boundaries
a line drawn to limit the extent of urban development, aiming to protect natural and agricultural areas from sprawl
urban hierarchy
ranking of settlements according to their size and economic functions
urban renewal
the process of redeveloping and revitalizing urban areas, often through government-led initiatives, to address urban decay, increase tax revenue, and create new infrastructure
urban sustaibanility
planning and managing cities to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own, focusing on environmental, social, and economic aspects
urbanization
social process whereby cities grow and societies become more urban
walkability
the degree to which an area is designed and organized to be friendly and conducive to walking, promoting it as a viable mode of transportation and enhancing the overall quality of life
world cities
center of economic, culture, and political activity that are strongly interconnected and together control the global systems of finance and commerce
zones of abandonment
urban areas characterized by informal housing, high crime rates, vacant buildings, lack of services, and poor infrastructure, often resulting from a lack of investment and affordable housing
zoning practices
dividing an area into zones or sections reserved for different purposes
