1. Big Idea 3: How are urban areas affected by unique economic, political, cultural, and environmental challenges?
1.1. Challenges of Urban Changes
1.1.1. Zones of Abandonment
1.1.1.1. Brownfields: Previously developed properties that are not currently in use and may be contaminated by hazardous substances or pollutants
1.1.2. Housing discrimination
1.1.2.1. Blockbusting: Persuading owners to sell property cheaply because of the fear of people of another ethnic or social group moving into the neighborhood, and then profiting by reselling at a higher price.
1.1.2.2. Redlining: Denying or restricting financial services like mortgages and insurance to individuals or communities in certain areas, often based on race or ethnicity
1.1.3. Disamenity Zones
1.1.3.1. Food Desert: areas with limited access to affordable and nutritious food
1.1.3.2. Squatter Settlements: Densely populated areas where people establish homes on land they do not own or have legal rights to
1.2. Responses to Challenges
1.2.1. Inclusionary Zoning: Any policy requiring a certain portion or percentage of housing built or preserved to be affordable to low or moderate income households
1.2.2. Farmland protection policy: Aims to minimize the conversion of farmland to non-agricultural uses
1.2.3. Good/Bad
1.2.3.1. Urban Renewal: Broad redevelopment of urban areas, including physical improvements and infrastructure upgrades
1.2.3.2. Gentrification: The transformation of a city neighborhood from low to high value
2. Big Idea 1: How do physical geography and resources impact the presence and growth of cities?
2.1. Drivers of Urbanism: Site & Situation
2.1.1. Suburbanization
2.1.1.1. Boomburb: A suburban city that's growing really fast, almost the same size of a real city but has a suburbian feel
2.1.1.2. Exurbs: characterized by low population density and a mix of residential, agricultural, and open space uses. These areas often attract individuals seeking a rural lifestyle while maintaining proximity to urban centers
2.1.1.3. Edge Cities: Cities that start to develop their own distinct economic district, located on the outskirts of a city, usually connected by a major roadway
2.1.2. Urbanization
2.1.2.1. Megacities: A city exceeding a population of 10 million or more
2.1.2.2. Metacities: A city exceeding a population of 20 million or more
2.1.2.3. Urban Sprawl: The expansion of cities and into surrounding rural or undeveloped land
2.1.3. Distribution of Cities
2.1.3.1. Primate City: Largest city in a country, significantly larger than all other cities within that country. It usually has a population at least twice as large as the second-largest city. The most influential
2.1.3.2. Cristaller's Central Place Theory: In any given region there can only be one large central city which is surrounded by a series of smaller cities and towns
2.1.4. Internal Structure of Cities
2.1.4.1. Regional Cities
2.1.4.1.1. African City: Characterized by three distinct Central Business Districts (CBDs), colonial infrastructure, and informal settlements
2.1.4.1.2. Latin America: Has a CBD that works as a “spine” leading to a mall, with high-class residential along the spine. Has a gentrification and squatter settlement zone
2.1.4.1.3. Southeast Asian: has no CBD. It has a port with many components of the CBD around it. There are Western and Alien commercial zones for European and Chinese merchants.
2.1.4.2. General City Layouts
2.1.4.2.1. Bid Rent Theory: Land closer to a city center is more expensive because it's more accessible and valuable for businesses and people.
3. Big Idea 2:How are the attitudes, values, and balance of power of a population reflected in the built landscape?
3.1. New Urbanism
3.1.1. Green Belts: A designated area of open land around urban areas, intended to limit urban sprawl and protect natural habitats.
3.1.2. Transportation-Oriented Development:Reduces reliance on cars and enhances urban livability by integrating areas within close proximity to transit stations.
3.1.3. Walkability:Reduces reliance on cars and encourages more sustainable living practices. Also fosters a sense of community and belonging, helping to combat the isolation often found in sprawling suburbs.
3.1.4. Slow Growth Cities: Urban areas that prioritize sustainable, equitable, and people-centered development over rapid population and economic growth
3.2. Land Use
3.2.1. Bid Rent: explains how the price of land varies depending on its distance from a central business district
3.3. Urban Data
3.3.1. Quantitative Data: Provides information about changes in population composition and size in urban areas It can be counted, measured, and expressed in numbers.
3.3.2. Qualitative Data: Provides information about individual attitudes toward urban change. It is descriptive and conceptual.