Urban Geography Concepts

Annexation

• Legally adds land to a city in the U.S.

Census Tract

• Defined area by the U.S. Census Bureau for statistical publication, roughly corresponds to neighborhoods in urban areas.

Concentric Zone Model

• Describes urban structure with social groups arranged in concentric rings around a central point.

Council of Government

• A cooperative agency with representatives from local governments in metropolitan areas of the U.S.

Density Gradient

• Represents the variation of population density from the urban center to its outskirts.

Edge City

• A significant area of office and retail activity located at the outskirts of a city.

Filtering

• Process of transitioning a house use from single-family ownership to potential abandonment.

Gentrification

• Transition of an urban neighborhood from low-income rentals to higher-income owner-occupied residences.

Greenbelt

• A designated area of parks or open spaces surrounding urban areas to control urban sprawl.

Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA)

• Defined by a central city with a minimum of 50,000 residents and includes surrounding counties with economic ties.

Micropolitan Statistical Area

• Urbanized area with a population between 10,000 and 50,000, alongside its county and adjacent counties.

Multiple Nuclei Model

• Urban model proposing that cities have multiple centers or nodes of activity rather than a single nucleus.

Peripheral Model

• Depicts North American urban structure with an inner city surrounded by residential and commercial areas linked by a beltway.

Public Housing

• Government-owned housing in the U.S. rented to low-income residents, with rents set at 30% of income.

Redlining

• A discriminatory practice where banks delineate areas on maps and refuse loans for property within those boundaries.

Rush (or Peak) Hour

• The busiest traffic times, occurring in four consecutive 15-minute periods during morning and evening.

Sector Model

• Suggests urban structure with social groups arranged in sectors or wedges, expanding outward from the central business district (CBD).

Smart Growth

• Legislation aimed at controlling suburban expansion and conserving farmland.

Sprawl

• Development characterized by new housing at low density in areas not directly connected to existing urban centers.

Squatter Settlement

• Informal housing areas in developing countries where residents construct homes illegally on unowned land.

Underclass

• Social group marginalized from access to benefits and opportunities available in a developed society due to various socio-economic factors.

Urbanization

• The process that leads to an increase in both the percentage and absolute number of people living in urban areas.

Urban Renewal

• A city program targeting deteriorating neighborhoods, involving property acquisition, relocation of residents, redevelopment, and private development.

Zoning Ordinance

• Legislation that dictates allowable land use and density limits within a community.

Test your knowledge on essential urban geography concepts including annexation, census tracts, and gentrification. This quiz explores the complexities of urban structures and population dynamics in metropolitan areas. Challenge yourself to understand the factors affecting urban development.