World Cities

Question 1

Megacity

Answer 1

Metropolitan area with a total population in excess of 10 million.

Question 2

World City

Answer 2

A city that acts as a major centre for business, trade, finance, politics, culture, mass media, science and publishing.

Question 3

Millionaire City

Answer 3

A city with over a million inhabitants.

Question 4

Urbanisation

Answer 4

The growth in the proportion of a country’s population that lives in urban as opposed to rural areas.

Question 5

Globalisation

Answer 5

A set of processes leading to the integration of economic, cultural, political and social systems across geographical boundaries.

Question 6

Informationalisation

Answer 6

The increasing importance of the information based sector of the economy which relies on electronic data transfer.

Question 7

Synergy

Answer 7

When two or more companies, groups or individuals achieve mutual benefits by working closely together.

Question 8

Suburb

Answer 8

A residential area outside a city’s central area but within or just outside the city.

Question 9

Suburbanisation

Answer 9

The process of population movement from the central areas of cities towards the suburbs on the outskirts or the rural-urban fringe.

Question 10

Counter-urbanisation

Answer 10

The process in which the population of cities actually falls as people move out beyond the rural-urban fringe into areas that are truly rural.

Question 11

Re-urbanisation

Answer 11

The movement of people back to live in old city centres which have been redeveloped.

Question 12

Housing Association

Answer 12

Independent non-profit organisation for managing, building and renovating housing. Funded by central government through the Housing Corporation they can also receive funds from local authorities.

Question 13

Eco-quarter

Answer 13

Bids will be invited from local authorities for £15 million to retrofit existing homes with energy saving methods. Carbon neutral shops, offices etc.

Question 14

Retrofit

Answer 14

Make changes to improve the structure of buildings to incorporate technological advances that were not available when the buildings were originally constructed.

Question 15

Comparison Goods

Answer 15

Goods that are bought less often than everyday ‘convenience goods’. They include things such as clothes, shoes, electrical and household goods, for which people make special shopping trips so that they can compare prices, styles, etc.

Question 16

Total Diversion Rate

Answer 16

The amount of material (in kg/household/year) that is recycled and/or composed instead of going to landfill.

Question 17

Gross Domestic Product (GDP)

Answer 17

The value of all the goods and services produced in a country during a year, in $US. This is often given as GDO per capita, that is, an average for each person in the country. Total GDP is divided by the number of people in the country. The figures are further adjusted to take account of the purchasing power of money in each country rather than simply using exchange rates to convert local currency into $US. This is called Purchasing Power Parity or PPP.

Question 18

Human Development Index (HDI)

Answer 18

A comparative measure of life expectancy, literacy, education and standards of living. It is a standardised way to compare well-being, especially child welfare, in different countries. It can be used to measure the impact of economic policies on the quality of life of people in the country.

Question 19

Development Gap

Answer 19

The difference in the level of economic development between richer and poorer countries.