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. (ruralī urban) • 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 6 Los Angeles 2 London 7 Singapore 3 Tokyo 8 Chicago 4 Paris 9 Seoul 5 Hong Kong 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.