Ch. 13: Urban Patterns

Introduction & Case Study (p. 430-432)

  1. Describe some differences between urban and rural environments.
  1. Why do MDCs have a higher percentage of people living in urban areas?
  1. Case Study: Describe the drastic differences in living conditions within urban areas.

Key Issue #1: Where Have Urban Areas Grown? (p. 433-438)

  1. What is urbanization AND what are the 2 factors in urbanization?
  1. Differentiate between the percentage of people living in cities in MDCs and LDCs. How is Latin America unique?
  1. When and why did MDCs begin to urbanize? When and why have LDCs begun to urbanize?
  1. How has the location of the world’s biggest cities changed since 1900? What are the reasons for this change?
  1. Describe Wirth’s 3 social differences of a city from a rural area.
  1. Complete the chart:

Physical Definition / Characteristics of Definition / Challenges/Shortcomings of Definition
Legal Definition
Urbanized Area
Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA)
MIcropolitan Statistical Area
  1. Give examples of overlapping metropolitan areas. How does this further confuse the process of defining a city?

Key Issue #2: Where Area People Distributed Within Urban Areas? (p. 438-447)

  1. Complete the chart:

Model / Who Developed? / Characteristics / Illustration
Concentric Zone
Sector
Multiple Nuclei
Latin American
(p. 445-446)
  1. What is a census tract and how is it used?
  1. What is a social area analysis?
  1. What problems exist with the 3 U.S. urban models? What can all 3 models be combined to illustrate?
  1. Describe the differences between U.S. & European cities in what groups of people live where? What reasons might exist for these differences?
  1. Why are LDC cities designed similarly to European cities?
  1. Describe the layout of pre-colonial Islamic cities of Southwest Asia and North Africa.
  1. Describe the layout of the Aztec city of Tenochtitlan.
  1. In what ways did the French affect the old cities with their colonial city building practices?
  1. How were Spanish colonial cities constructed? How did they impact Aztec and Incan cities?
  1. Describe the wealthy sectors of Rio de Janeiro and Mexico City.
  1. What is a squatter settlement? Why do they form and where are they found?
  1. What are other names for squatter settlements in different parts of the world? What are characteristics of squatter settlements and the people who live there?
  1. List some of the cities where the largest squatter settlements are found near.

Key Issue #3: Why Do Inner Cities Have Distinctive Problems? (p. 447-451)

  1. What options exist for deteriorated housing?
  1. Describe the process (housing life cycle) of filtering.
  1. What is redlining? Though illegal, why does the practice continue?
  1. What is urban renewal? How is it accomplished?
  1. Describe public housing and its challenges. Why has the amount of public housing declined in the U.S.? What is different about public housing in Western Europe?
  1. What are the criticisms of urban renewal?
  1. What is gentrification? What attracts middle-class residents back to the city?
  1. Give positives and negatives of gentrification.
  1. Describe the characteristics of the underclass.
  1. Describe the problems that are associated with poverty.
  1. In what ways does ethnic and racial segregation still exist in U.S. cities?
  1. What choices do cities have to close the gap between costs of services and funding? What challenges exist for these choices?
  1. What is annexation? What challenges exist for cities and annexation in the U.S. today?

Key Issue #4: Why Do Suburbs Have Distinctive Problems? (p. 451-461)

  1. What has happened to both urban and suburban population in the U.S. since 1950?
  1. What attractions exist for suburban living?
  1. Complete the chart:

Model / Who Developed? / Characteristics / Illustration
Peripheral Model (Galactic City Model)
  1. What are edge cities AND how did they develop? Give examples of edge cities.
  1. What is the density gradient? How has it changed in recent years? Notice Figure 13-21.
  1. Describe suburban sprawl. What problems exist with sprawl?
  1. Describe how the British attack sprawl by using greenbelts.
  1. Describe the types of segregation in modern suburbs. How do local governments encourage segregation?
  1. How have changing transportation methods contributed to suburbanization?
  1. Differentiate in the U.S. and European governments’ approaches to motor vehicles. What challenges and improvements exist for motor vehicle use?
  1. Describe rush hour. Discuss advantages of public transportation versus motor vehicles.
  1. Give examples of new or expanded rapid transit systems in the U.S.
  1. What challenges exist for public transportation in the U.S.?
  1. How do European countries and Japan differ from the U.S. in terms of public transit?
  1. What is meant by local government fragmentation? Give examples.
  1. What problems are associated with fragmented governments?
  1. What is a council of government? Describe the 2 main types AND give examples of each.
  1. Describe the goals of smart growth. Give examples of smart growth policies.