central business district
The downtown or nucleus of a city where retail stores, offices, and cultural activities are concentrated; building densities are usually quite high; and transportation systems converge.
central city
the urban area that is not suburban; generally, the older or original city that is surrounded by newer suburbs
suburb
a residential district located on the outskirts of a city
suburbanization
The process of population movement from within towns and cities to the rural-urban fringe.
concentric zone model
A model of the internal structure of cities in which social groups are spatially arranged in a series of rings.
edge cities
cities that are located on the on the outskirts of larger cities and serve many of the same functions of urban areas, but in a sprawling, decetralized suburban environment
urban realm
A spatial generalization of the large, late-twentieth-century city in the United States. It is shown to be a widely dispersed, multicentered metropolis consisting of increasingly independent zones or realms, each focused on its own suburban downtown; the
griffin ford model
Developed by geographers Ernst Griffin and Larry Ford, a model of the Latin American city showing a blend of traditional elements of Latin American culture with the forces of globalization that are reshaping the urban scene.
disamenity sector
The very poorest parts of cities that in extreme cases are not even connected to regular city services and are controlled by gangs or drug lords.
mcgee model
Developed by geographer T.G. McGee, a model showing similar land-use patterns among the medium-sized cities of Southeast Asia.
shantytowns
Unplanned slum development on the margins of cities, dominated by crude dwellings and shelters made mostly of scrap wood, iron, and even pieces of cardboard.
zoning laws
regulations that limit how property in a given area can be used
redlining
Illegal practice of refusing to make mortgage loans or issue insurance policies in specific areas for reasons other than economic qualifications of applicants
blockbusting
Illegal practice of inducing homeowners to sell their properties by telling them that a certain people of a certain race, national origin or religion are moving into the area
commercialization
The transformation of an area of a city into an area attractive to residents and tourists alike in terms of economic activity.
gentrification
the restoration of run-down urban areas by the middle class (resulting in the displacement of lower-income people)
tear downs
Houses that new owners bought with the intention of tearing them down to build larger homes
mcmansions
Homes referred to as such because of their "super size" and similarity in appearance to other such homes; homes often built in place of tear-downs in American suburbs.
urban sprawl
The process of urban areas expanding outwards, usually in the form of suburbs, and developing over fertile agricultural land.
new urbanism
Outlined by a group of architects, urban planners, and developers from over 20 countries, an urban design that calls for development, urban revitalization, and suburban reforms that create walkable neighborhoods with a diversity of housing and jobs.
gated communities
Restricted neighborhoods or subdivisions, often literally fenced in, where entry is limited to residents and their guests. Although predominantly high-income based, in North America gated communities are increasingly a middle-class phenomenon.
informal economy
Economic activity that is neither taxed nor monitored by a government; and is not included in that government's Gross National Product; as opposed to a formal economy
world city
Centers of economic, culture, and political activity that are strongly interconnected and together control the global systems of finance and commerce.
primate city
a city that ranks first in a nation in terms of population and economy
spaces of consumption
Areas of a city, the main purpose of which is to encourage people to consume goods and services' driven primarily by the global media industry.
urban morphology
the study of the physical form and structure of urban places
city
a large and densely populated urban area
urban
relating to or concerned with a city or densely populated area
agricultural village
a relatively small, egalitarian village, where most of the population was involved in agriculture
agricultural surplus
one of two components, together with social stratification, that enable the formation of cities; agricultural productionin exess of that which the producer needs for his or her own sustenance and that of his or her family and which is then sold for sonsum
social stratification
the condition of being arranged in social strata or classes within a group
leadership class
group of decision-makers and organizers in early cities who controlled the resources, and often the lives, of others
first urban revolution
The innovation of the city, which occurred independently in five separate hearths.
mesopotamia
first civilization located between the Tigris & Eurphrates Rivers in present day Iraq; term means "land between the rivers;
indus river valley
Chronoligcally the third urban hearth dating back to 2200 BCE., a valley in northeren Pakistan that is between the Himalayas and the Hindu Kush mountain ranges
huang he and wei
Rivers in present-day China; it was at the confluence of the Huang He and Wei Rivers where chronologically the fourth urban hearth was founded by the Chinese.
mesoamerica
Middle America" the region extending from modern-day Mexico through Central America
Acropolis
a large hill in ancient Greece where city residents sought shelter and safety in times of war and met to discuss community affairs
agora
the marketplace in ancient Greece
site
physical position in relation to the surroundings
forum
a public facility to meet for open discussion
situation
physical position in relation to the surroundings