Urban Geography

Urban Geography(click above)UNIT VII

1

When and Why did People Start Living in Cities?Key Question:

3Agricultural VillagesBefore urbanization, people often clustered in agricultural villages a relatively small, egalitarian village, where most of the population was involved in agriculture. About 10,000 years ago, people began living in agricultural villages

4The First Urban RevolutionTwo components enable the formation of cities:

1.an agricultural surplus

2. social stratification (a leadership class)

5Five Hearths of Urbanization In each of these hearths, an agricultural surplus and social stratification created the conditions necessary for cities to form and be maintained.

6Five Hearths of Urbanization 3500 BCE-1500 bceMesopotamia (between Tigris and Euphrates Rivers) in modern IraqNile River Valley in modern EgyptIndus River Valley in modern PakistanHuang He River Valley in modern ChinaMesoamerica (Mexico and Peru)

7Why cities developed?Pre-Industrial CitiesAgricultural surplusesIncreasing population densitiesDefense needsReligious reasons (theocratic rule)Trade requirements

Pre-industrial city purposeServe as administrative, religious, trade, or gateway cities

Diffusion of UrbanizationThe Greek Cities (500 BCE) highly urbanized. Network of more than 500 cities and townsOn the mainland and on islandsEach city had an acropolis (high point) and an agora (gathering place)

10Diffusion of UrbanizationThe Roman Cities (338 BCE)a system of cities and small towns, linked together with hundreds of miles of roads and sea routes; typically for trade

11Silk road Trade route from Central Asia to Europe (connected the East to the West)

The Second Urban RevolutionUrban-Industrial RevolutionA large scale movement of people to cities to work in manufacturing. Made possible by:Second Agricultural Revolution that improved food production (less farm workers needed=find job in the city AND more food= increasing population)

13Industrial revolutionStarted in EnglandCreated steady rural-to-urban migration1800= 24% urban and 1999= 99% urban

Industrialized regions of Europe, 1914

15Industrial city purposeMake and distribute manufactured products

During the second half of the 20th century

What was once thriving industrial districts, are now abandoned factories known as RUST BELTS

Duisburg, Germany

Detroit, Michigan Packer Motor Car Company

17If a city becomes deindustrializedNew jobs MUST be developed in the next economic sector (customer service, professional services, management)

Mercantilism: economic theory that fueled European expansion and imperialism Mercantile Era (1500-1800s) CITIES GREW with merchant families, who built ornate mansions, patronized the arts, participated in city governments, and supported the reconstruction of city centers.

Genoa, Italy

19Urban Population, 1950-2030 (in Millions)

20Source: United Nations Population Program.What are Cities and Why?Key Question:

21CitiesCity a conglomeration of people and buildings clustered together to serve as a center of politics, culture, and economics.Central PlaceHinterlandFunctional complexity

22

Central City includes the Central Business District (CBD)Suburbs (surround central city)Urbanized Area (central city and built-up area/suburbs)Metropolitan Area (county and adjacent counties with high pop density and large % of residents working in central citys county)Megalopolis (Boswash corridor)

23Process of URBANIZATION Levels of Urbanization: % of people in urban area; highest in industrialized countries

Rate of Urbanization: % of increase in the urban population; highest in less developed countries

24Levels of Urbanization

In todays world

Rate of Urbanization

a rural area can become urbanized quite quickly in the modern worldShenzhen, China

26Shenzhen changed from a fishing village to a major metropolitan area in just 25 years. 25 years ago, all of this land was duck ponds and rice paddies.Shenzhen, China

27

URBAN HIERARCHYCities are linked to other cities and towns in an interconnected systemCities can be ranked based on their size and their functional complexityInterconnection among cities tends to be verticalThe sphere of influence of any given city or town is generally proportional to its size

29TWO TYPES OF URBAN HIERARCHYPRIMACYRANK/SIZE RULE

30RULE OF PRIMACY (primate city)Single city that is more than twice the size, disproportionately larger, than the rest of the cities in the countryFor example: London, UKMexico City, Mexico Paris, FranceViolation of the rank/size rule

31Rank-Size Rule:in a model urban hierarchy, the population of the city or town will be inversely proportional to its rank in the hierarchy. (DIVIDE RANK INTO SIZE OF LARGEST CITY; WILL PREDICT CITY POPULATION)

For example:largest city = 12 million2nd largest = 6 million3rd largest = 4 million4th largest = 3 million

US in close to following this model

Newly urbanized LDCs NOT a good example of this model

32FACTORS FOR LARGE CITIESFACTOR THAT ENCOURAGE FEWER, LARGER CITIES:

Economies that include agglomeration (related businesses clustered together)Positive location advantages (a lot of pull)

33FACTORS FOR SMALL CITIESThings that are a problem in big cities, but not as BIG of a problem in small cities.Congestion PollutionCrime High rents and urban land costsHigh intra-urban transportation costs

34URBAN FUNCTIONSVIRTUALLY ALL URBAN SETTLEMENTS FALL INTO ONE OF THREE CATAGORIES

Transportation centerSpecial function centers (i.e. education, administration)Central placeServe as centers for distribution of economic goods and services to surrounding populations

35