Chapter 10: Cities and Urbanization

Holly Barcus

Morehead State University

Introduction to GeographyPeople, Places, and Environment, 6e

Carl DahlmanWilliam H. Renwick

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Defining Concepts

• Hinterland– Provide services/draws resources

• Incorporation– Defining city territory

• Primate cities– Large city with majority of national population

• Urbanization– Concentrating population in cities

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Urban Geography

• Three important topics– Urban functions and roles– Study of urbanization

• Different times

• Different places

– Internal patterns

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Urban Functions

• Early functions– Government centers– Protection– Agglomeration

• Economy sectors– Primary– Secondary– Tertiary

• Economic bases– Basic sector

– Non-basic sector

– Multiplier effect

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Locations of Cities

• Site factors– Characteristics of location

• Situation factors– Other cities

– Transportation/trade routes

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Central Place Theory

• Three requirements– Hinterlands divide the space completely

– Hinterlands are uniform shape and size

– Minimal distance between central place and furthest place

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Early Urban Societies

• Holland - 17th century– Global shipping, banking– Supported by highly productive agriculture– Pre-industrial revolution

• Britain– Occurred during industrialization– World’s first model of urbanization

• Terrible hardships• Emigration

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Urbanization Today

• Occurring rapidly– Inadequate infrastructure

– Living conditions mimic 19th century England

– Caused by deteriorating rural conditions

• Concentrates labor forces• Different from historic British experience

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Government Policies

• Used to reduce rural to urban migration

• Limit housing and jobs

• Improve rural areas

• Compulsory ruralization

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Vitality of Cities

• Positive aspects of urbanization– Informal, underground economy

– Urban immigrants are assets to growth

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Models of Urban Form

• Four models of internal patterns– Concentric zone– Sector – Multiple-nuclei– Peripheral

• Social factors• Government • Environmental concerns

Concentric Zone Model

CBD

Sector Model

Multiple Nuclei Model

Peripheral Model

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Urban Planning

• Planning the ideal city– Howard’s Garden Cities– Le Corbusier’s Radiant Cities– Canberra, Australia

• Charter of the International Congress of Modern Architecture (CIAM)– Codified the functions of the modern city

Garden City

Rayburn, New Jersey

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Brasilia, A Radiant City

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Brasilia: National Cathedral

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Brasilia, Congress

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Brasilia

•Upper left: Residential sector

•Lower left: National theater

•Below: Government ministry buildings

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Culture in Urban Models

• Contrasts to North American models– Latin America

– Western Europe

– Traditional Islamic

– Asian

Fez, Morocco

Latin American Model

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Growth of Suburbs

• U.S. phenomenon due to prosperity

• Early suburbs– Cultural preference for rural living– Henry Ford

• Government policies– FHA loan program– Tax incentives– Returning veterans

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Suburban Infrastructure

• Sprawl• High costs

– Energy– Commute / transportation

• Leapfrogging• Environmental

– Farmland– Green space

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Social Consequences

• Residential segregation and marketing

• Restrictive covenants

• Job movement and creation

• Commuting patterns– Rush hour

USA changes in city size

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New Patterns

• New urbanism– Recreate small town America– Less dependence on cars

• Telecommuting

• Virtual shopping– Internet– Brick and mortar

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Central Cities Decline

• 1970-1995• Economic decline

– Spatial mismatch

• Population loss• Deteriorating housing and neighborhoods• Loss of entry level jobs

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Central Cities New Growth

• Service sector economy– Increased white collar jobs– Finance, IT, bio-tech

• Gentrification– Rediscovering urban living– Yuppies / empty nesters

• Immigrants• African Americans

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Redistribution of Jobs & Housing

• Urban enterprise zones

• Reclaiming “brownfields”

• Relocate subsidized housing

• Transportation to suburban jobs

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Governing Urban Areas

• Annexation • Incorporation

– Thwarts efforts to be annexed

• Special district governments• Ending subsidies encouraging sprawl• Tax incentives

End of Chapter 10