AP Human Geography - Unit 6: Cities and Urban Land Use

Introduction

• Focus on cities and urban land use.
• Importance of site and situation in urban geography.

Concepts of Site and Situation

Site

• San Diego's Site: Known for its fantastic weather, consistent temperatures between 65-77°F, and low summer rainfall.
• Natural Resources: Pacific Ocean and San Diego Bay as significant site factors.

Situation

• Connections: Los Angeles to the north, Tijuana to the south.
• Military Access: Pacific Ocean access through the Navy base.

Urban Changes and Effects

Transportation and Communication

• Transportation: Evolution from no freeways to extensive urban sprawl.
• Communication: Shift from central business districts to remote work due to the pandemic.

Demographic and Economic Changes

• Population changes, economic development, migration, and policies like NIMBYism affecting urbanization.

Mega Cities and Meta Cities

• Mega Cities: Cities with at least 10 million people.
• Meta Cities: Cities projected to have 20 million+ people by 2100, mostly in the developing world.

Urban Hierarchy and Globalization

• Global cities like New York, London, Paris, and Tokyo at the top of the urban hierarchy.
• Cities are interconnected through globalization.

Urbanization Trends

Suburbanization

• Movement away from cities to suburbs, leading to urban sprawl and decentralization.
• Edge Cities: Rapidly growing urban areas on the periphery.
• Boom Burbs: Quickly growing suburban regions.

City Models

Classical Models

• Burgess Concentric Zone Model: Central business district surrounded by concentric rings.
• Hoyt Sector Model: Wedges expanding outward from the city center.
• Multiple Nuclei Model: Acknowledges multiple CBDs or nodes.
• Galactic City Model: Includes a radial highway around the urban core.

International Models

• Latin American City Model: Characterized by a 'spine' of high-quality housing.
• Southeast Asian City Model: Focuses on ports reflecting geographic context.
• African City Model: Colonial CBDs with straight-line planning.

Urban Density and Infrastructure

• Different densities from high (urban cores) to low (rural areas).
• Infrastructure includes essentials like gas, electricity, schools, and roads.

Urban Sustainability

• Trends: Mixed land use, walkability, transportation-oriented development.
• Policies: Smart growth, new urbanism, green belts, slow growth policies.

Challenges and Responses to Urbanization

• Issues like sanitation, air and water quality, and climate change.
• Responses include regional planning, brownfield remediation, and growth boundaries.

Quantitative and Qualitative Data

• Use of the census for urban planning.
• Field studies and interviews for qualitative insights.

Discriminatory Housing Policies

• Redlining: Discriminatory lending practices affecting minority neighborhoods.
• Blockbusting and White Flight: Exploiting racial fears for profit.

Urban Renewal and Gentrification

• Rebuilding urban areas leading to gentrification, attracting young professionals but often pricing out lower-income residents.

Government Fragmentation

• Challenges in urban management due to various governing bodies.

Conclusion

• Urbanization presents both challenges and opportunities for sustainable development.

• Note: These notes summarize the key concepts and models discussed in the lecture on urban geography.