Welcome to Unit 6: Cities and Urban Land-Use Patterns and Processes!
Ever wonder why some cities have massive skyscrapers while others spread out for miles? Or why a Starbucks seems to be on every corner in one neighborhood but totally missing in another? That is exactly what we are exploring in this unit! We are looking at urbanization—the growth and systems of cities. This unit is important because most people on Earth now live in cities, and understanding how they work helps us understand our future.
6.1: The Origin and Influences of Urbanization
Cities don't just pop up randomly. They are built in specific places for specific reasons. Two key terms you must know are Site and Situation.
Site: This is the actual physical ground the city is built on. Think of things like climate, soil quality, or being on a hill for defense.
Example: New York City has a great site because it is located on a deep-water harbor.
Situation: This is where the city is located relative to other things. Is it near a trade route? Is it between two other big cities?
Example: Singapore’s situation is amazing because it sits right on a major global shipping lane.
Quick Review: Think of "Site" as the "ingredients" of the land and "Situation" as the "connections" to the rest of the world.
Changes in Technology: Advances in transportation (like trains and cars) and communication (the internet) have changed where people can live. We aren't just stuck next to rivers anymore!
6.2: Cities Across the World
Not all cities are the same size. We use two specific terms for the "giants" of the world:
1. Megacities: Cities with more than 10 million people.
2. Metacities: Cities with more than 20 million people.
Did you know? Most of the world's fastest-growing megacities are now in the periphery (developing countries) and semi-periphery. Cities like Lagos, Nigeria, or Dhaka, Bangladesh, are growing much faster than New York or London!
The Challenge: When cities grow too fast, they often face suburbanization (people moving to the edges) or the growth of squatter settlements (informal housing where people don't own the land and lack basic services like water or electricity).
6.3: Cities and Globalization
Some cities are "more important" on a global scale. We call these World Cities (or Global Cities). These are hubs for finance, international trade, and culture. Think of London, New York, Tokyo, and Paris. They aren't just important to their own countries; they drive the global economy.
6.4: The Size and Distribution of Cities
Geographers love patterns! We look at how cities are spread out using two main "rules":
1. Rank-Size Rule: In many developed countries, the \(n^{th}\) largest city is \(1/n\) the size of the largest city.
Simple explanation: If the biggest city has 1 million people, the 2nd biggest will have 500,000 (1/2), and the 3rd biggest will have 333,333 (1/3). This usually shows a country has a balanced economy and services available everywhere.
2. Primate City Rule: This is when the largest city is more than twice as big as the next largest city.
Example: Mexico City or Paris. These cities are the center of everything—politics, culture, and money—but it can make it hard for people in rural areas to get services.
The Gravity Model: This explains how much two cities interact. It says that Bigger cities and Closer cities have more "pull" on each other.
Analogy: You are more likely to travel to a big city 20 miles away than a tiny village 100 miles away!
6.5: The Internal Structure of Cities
Cities usually grow in specific shapes. You should be able to recognize these models:
Concentric Zone Model (Burgess): The city grows in rings, like a tree. The center is the Central Business District (CBD), and the rings get "wealthier" as you move out.
Sector Model (Hoyt): The city grows in "wedges" or pie slices, often following transportation lines like railroads.
Multiple Nuclei Model (Harris and Ullman): A city with more than one "center." You might have a CBD, but also a separate area for a university or a massive airport that acts as its own hub.
Galactic City Model (Edge Cities): This is common in the modern U.S. People live in suburbs and work in Edge Cities—mini-cities with offices and malls located at the intersections of major highways.
Takeaway: Each model shows how people try to balance living close to work while having enough space to live comfortably.
6.6: Density and Land Use
Bid-Rent Theory: This is a fancy way of saying: "The closer you are to the center of the city, the more expensive the land is."
Because the land is expensive in the center, we build up (skyscrapers). Further out, land is cheaper, so we build out (houses with yards).
Key terms to know:
Infilling: Building on empty lots within the city instead of spreading out further.
Infrastructure: The "bones" of the city—roads, pipes, power lines, and internet cables. Without good infrastructure, a city cannot function.
6.7: Urban Sustainability
How do we keep cities livable without destroying the planet?
Sustainable Design: Including parks, public transit, and walkable streets.
New Urbanism: A movement to make cities more walkable and less dependent on cars. It mixes homes and businesses together so you can walk to the grocery store.
Greenbelts: Areas of open parkland or farms around a city where building is not allowed. This prevents Urban Sprawl (the messy, uncontrolled spread of a city into the countryside).
6.8: Challenges of Urban Changes
Growth isn't always easy. Here are some "pain points" for cities:
Gentrification: When wealthier people move into a lower-income neighborhood and fix it up.
The Good: Property values go up and the area looks better.
The Bad: Original residents often can't afford the higher taxes or rent and are forced to move out.
Redlining: (Historical Mistake) A practice where banks refused to give loans to people in certain neighborhoods based on race. This caused many neighborhoods to fall into poverty for decades.
Food Deserts: Areas in a city where it is almost impossible to buy fresh, healthy food (like fruits and veggies) because there are no grocery stores nearby, only convenience stores.
6.9: Quick Review of Unit 6
• Site is the land; Situation is the location.
• Megacities = 10 million+; Metacities = 20 million+.
• Primate cities are huge "center" cities; Rank-size is more balanced.
• Bid-rent theory: Land is most expensive in the CBD.
• Gentrification can help neighborhoods but hurt the people living there.
Don't worry if the different city models (Concentric, Sector, etc.) seem confusing at first. Just remember: they are all just different ways of explaining how people, jobs, and houses are arranged in a city!