URBANIZATION
• Urban geography is the study of urban areas.
• Urban areas have a high concentration of buildings and infrastructure.
• These are areas where the majority of economic activities are in the secondary sector and tertiary sectors.
• They often have a high population density.
URBANIZATION• Urbanization – Growth and diffusion
of city landscapes and urban lifestyles. (ruralurban)
• Urban areas provide;• Protection• Services & products (marketplace)• Employment • Cultural Features (Landmarks, Food)• Educational Opportunities • Transportation/Communication Hub
• Urban areas first developed when people stopped hunting and gathering, and became sedentary rather than nomadic.
Urbanization in the World's More Developed and Less Developed Societies
Emerging city – urban areas that are experiencing population growth as well as increasing their economic and political power throughout their region.– Shanghai, China – Hanoi, Vietnam– Bangkok, Thailand– Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – Dubai, U.A.E.– Singapore, Singapore – Mumbai, India – Jakarta, Indonesia
Gateway city – urban areas that connect two or more areas and serve as a gateway among them.– Boston – New York City– San Francisco – St. Louis– Miami – Toronto– Vancouver– Mumbai– Sydney– Istanbul– Cape Town– Hong Kong– Amsterdam– Barcelona– Dublin
GLOBAL CITIES • A Global city (or world city) is a city deemed
to be an important nodal point in the global economic system
• 2008 U.N. study – business activity, human capital, information exchange, cultural experience, & political engagement.
1 New York City
2 London
3 Tokyo
4 Paris
5 Hong Kong
6 Los Angeles
7 Singapore
8 Chicago
9 Seoul
10 Toronto
URBAN HIERARCHIES• Hamlet – may only include a
few dozen people and offer very limited services. The people in the hamlet are clustered around an urban center – which may consist only of a gas station or general store.
• Village – larger than hamlets and offer more services. Instead of just a general store, there may be stores specializing in the sale of food, clothing, furniture, etc.
URBAN HIERARCHIES• Town – may consist of 50
to a few thousand people. The meaning of a town varies from State to State & Nation to Nation.
• City – Large, densely populated areas that may include tens of thousands of people.
• Large industrialized cities generally have advanced systems for sanitation, utilities, land usage, housing, transportation, etc…
URBAN HIERARCHIES• Metropolis – large city, large populations
incorporating large areas. US Government states that a metropolis must have over 50,000 people.
URBAN HIERARCHIES• Megalopolis – an area consisting of several metropolitan
areas linked together that forms one huge urban area.
• Canada – Mainstreet• Hamilton, Toronto, Ottawa,
Montreal, & Quebec City
• USA–Bosnywash
• Boston, Mass.• Providence, R.I.• Hartford, Conn.• NYC• Newark, NJ• Philadelphia, PA• Dover, DE• Baltimore, MD• Washington DC.
• USA –ChiPitts • Green Bay, Milwaukee,
Chicago, Indianapolis, Detroit, Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, Buffalo
• USA –San San• San Diego, San
Bernardino, Riverside, Los Angeles, Bakersfield, Fresno, San Jose, Sacramento, Napa, Freemont, Oakland, San Francisco
• Europe – Blue Banana• Dublin, Lon-Leeds-Chester,
Paris, Flemish Diamond, Randstad, Rhine-Ruhr, Frankfurt, Munich, Basel, Zurich, Milan, Torino
• Japan – Tokaido corridor
(Taiheiyo Belt) (Pacific Belt)
• Tokyo, Yokohama, Nagoya Osaka, Kobe, Kyoto, Hiroshima, Yamaguchi
• Australia – The Boomerang • Melbourne, Canberra,
Sydney, Brisbane
• Brazil – Golden Triangle • Sao Paulo,
Rio de Janeiro, Belo Horizonte
Why Do Services Cluster Downtown?• CBD land uses
– Central business districts (CBDs)– Retail services in the CBD
• Retailers with a high threshold• Retailers with a high range• Retailers serving downtown workers
– Business services in the CBD
CBD of Charlotte, NC
Figure 13-1
Why Do Services Cluster Downtown?• Competition for land in the CBD
– High land costs• Some of the most expensive real estate in the world
= Tokyo• Intensive land use
– Underground areas
• Skyscrapers – “Vertical geography”
Why Do Services Cluster Downtown?• Activities excluded from the CBD
– Lack of industry in the CBD• Modern factories require large, one-story parcels of
land
– Lack of residents in the CBD• Push and pull factors involved
• CBDs outside North America– Less dominated by commercial considerations.