Ch. 13: Urban PatternsCh. 13: Urban PatternsSay goodbye to this book! LAST CHAPTER!!!!(actually don’t say goodbye. It is in your best

interest to read it at breakfast, lunch and dinner and before bed every day until May 17)

Key issue 1Key issue 1

Why do services cluster Why do services cluster downtown?downtown?

CBD= Central Business District …. “downtown”◦It takes up a

very small space for the relatively large amounts of shops, offices, etc.

Retail ServicesRetail Services

Businesses with high thresholds- like department store ◦Remember, this means that they need lots of

customers in order to make a profit◦Traditionally in the smack dab center

Easily accessible to customers Very high rent

◦Now more likely to be in the suburbs

Retail ServicesRetail Services

Businesses with a high range◦This means that people are willing to drive a

long way◦Specialists, customers don’t go often◦Again, moved to the suburbs◦Only stick around if they’re highly unusual or in

a cool setting Examples: San Francisco Ferry Building and

Boston’s Faneuil Hall Marketplace

Retail ServiceRetail Service

Retailers serving downtown workers◦Supply things that people may need or have

time for on their lunch break Dry cleaners, copy centers, office supplies,

clothing◦Has increased lately for two reasons

More people working in downtown offices Downtown offices needing these services

Business ServicesBusiness Services

Businesses are located near other businesses◦For example, lawyers are close to government

agenciesFace to face contact is still a thing!

◦Very rapid communication◦Builds trust

It’s a nice, convenient place for anyone who may work at the business

Competition for LandCompetition for Land

• Why would it cost more to rent a small space?

• Demand leads to 3-dimensional development. What does this mean?

• Skyscrapers– Lower level = retail–Middle levels = professional offices– Upper levels = apartment living

What can’t you find in the CBD?What can’t you find in the CBD?

Industry◦Usually take up space◦Not terribly accessible by water◦Waterfronts are more touristy now

Residents◦Push and pull factors?◦Privacy of the suburbs◦High rent◦Nasty living◦It is becoming slightly more attractive, particularly to who?

Outside of North America…Outside of North America…things are different…things are different…

• More historic• More tourist-based• Less focus on

commercial considerations

• Not as accepting of change

• More small businesses• More people living in

the CBD• Fewer vehicles• Renovation of old

buildings

Key Issue 2Key Issue 2Where are people distributed within urban areas?

Models of Urban StructureModels of Urban Structure

There are three models:◦Concentric Zone Model◦Sector Model◦Multiple Nuclei Model

Models explain how a city is set up socially (as opposed to business…ly)

Models help us know why people live where they live!◦Where do the people who are Philippino live?◦Why do they live there?

Social Area AnalysisSocial Area Analysis

Census Tracts are geographical divisions used to track data for the census every 10 years◦Race, education, income

The data is plotted by computers and paints a picture of where people are

The models alone do not explain everything, but a combination of the models offers explanations

Concentric Zone ModelConcentric Zone Model

Burgess is the man here. Remember his name!

The city grows outward from the center in rings! Sound familiar?1. CBD2. Zone of transition

Industry and poor quality housing3. Zone of independent workers’ homes

Modest homes, working class families4. Zone of better residences

Spacious, middle-class5. Commuter’s Zone

People who work in the center but live in small vilages

Concentric Zone Model: Two Concentric Zone Model: Two people, same race, same incomepeople, same race, same income

This girl rents This girl owns

Likely to live closer to the city center

Likely to live in an outer ring

Concentric Zone ModelConcentric Zone Model

Sector ModelSector Model

Homer HOYT. The man. Funny name. Not a funny model.

The city is broken into sectors, or wedges, still with the CBD in the center (otherwise

it wouldn’t be the CBD)Based on the idea that some areas are

more attractive than others for certain sectors

Sector ModelSector Model

Sector ModelSector Model

These people own their home and make $40,000 yearly

These people own their home and make $200,000 yearly

These people will likely live in sector dark orange

These will likely live in sector light yellow

NOT the same sector!

Multiple Nuclei ModelMultiple Nuclei Model

Harris and Ullman (a joint model effort!)There are multiple “City Centers”Different activities revolve around

different centers◦The airport probably has hotels◦The university probably has pizza places

High class and low class aren’t going to mix!

Multi-Nuclei ModelMulti-Nuclei Model

Multi-nuclei ModelMulti-nuclei Model

People with the same ethnic or racial background are more likely to live near one another

Outside of North America…Outside of North America…

Similarities Differences

Often times wealthy are clustered in a sector that extends from the CBD

There are industrial sectors, high class sectors, etc.

Upper class still live in the inner rings◦ Like to be close to best

shops, cafes, etc.◦ Like to restore old

placesUpper class also tend

to live on hillsLow income mostly

on outer rings

LDCsLDCs

Poor in outer rings, wealthy near CBD◦Just like Europe because of colonial influences

that have “stuck.”Pre-colonial Cities

◦Often centered around religious nodesColonial Cities

◦Native towns usually didn’t survive colonization, as colonists started from scratch

◦European cities were planned Grid patterns, central plaza, walled homes, wide

streets and public squares

LDCsLDCs

Cities since their independence◦The city itself has been very important in

changing the development status of a country◦Usually a wealthy sector (rather than ring)◦Wealthy live in geographically advantageous

places- higher ground

◦Sewage flows away! Away from dust storms (Mexico) Access to beaches

LDCsLDCs

Squatter Settlements◦An area where poor immigrants live◦Few resources including

Schools Pavement Plumbing/Sewers Electricity Transportation services

◦At first its basically like camping, eventually people collect resources to build makeshift homes from plastic, cardboard, wood pieces, etc.

Squatter SettlementsSquatter Settlements

Rio de JaneiroRio de Janeiro

Key Issue 3Key Issue 3Why do inner cities face distinctive challenges?

Physical Issues for Inner CitiesPhysical Issues for Inner Cities

Deterioration◦Filtering: Large houses owned by wealthy turn

to small houses where poor live Kind of like a hand-me-down Landlords leave property rather than fix it if they

wont be making a profit◦Redlining: Drawing lines on a map to identify

places where banks will refuse to lend money. What happens now? (it’s illegal, but hard to enforce)

Physical issues for urban Physical issues for urban citiescities

Urban Renewal: The city takes a part of the city that is and relocates residents. Then they level the place and rebuild, turning land over to public agencies. Why is this good? Why is it bad?◦Public housing: Government run housing reserved

for low income families who pay 30% of their income for rent What are some problems that could come with this?

◦Renovating housing: Gentrification- middle class people moving to inner-city housing and renovating the housing Why would they do this? Why would it be a good thing

for the city?

Inner-city Social IssuesInner-city Social Issues

Underclass- inner city residents who are “trapped” in a cycle of economic and social problems.◦Explain◦Homeless included

Culture of poverty◦The social and economic problems become a

part of their culture ¾ of inner-city children only live with one parent Drugs East side/West side

Inner-city Economic IssuesInner-city Economic Issues

Eroding Tax Base◦The low income families use public services

that are paid by taxes, but can’t afford to pay taxes themselves City either has to reduce the services (libraries,

busses, trash collection, etc.) Or raise tax revenues by encouraging businesses

to build downtownImpact of the recession

◦Housing market crash Loans to low income, low credit families Falling prices

Key Issue 4Key Issue 4Why do suburbs face distinctive challenges?

Urban ExpansionUrban Expansion

Annexation: adding land area to a city◦Why would you want to do that?

Defining Urban Settlements◦City: Urban settlement legally incorporated into

an independent, self-governing unit◦Urbanized area: Central city and surrounding

suburbs◦Metropolitan area: A functional region. The full

influence of an urban settlement. A county is the basic building block of an MSA, or

metropolitan statistical area There’s a LOT more that goes into this, so make

sure to read your book!

Urban ExpansionUrban Expansion

Local Government Fragmentation◦There are city governments, county

governments, school districts, transportation departments, and much much more. This makes the metropolitan area very confused! There is a lack of coordination

Overlapping metropolitan areas◦A megalopolis is a continuous chain of urban

areas North Boston to D.C. is an example

The Peripheral ModelThe Peripheral Model

Yay! Another model!An urban area consists of an inner

city surrounded by large suburban residential and business areas tied together by a beltway or ring road.

Edge cities are nodes of consumer and business services around the beltway◦They started out as just suburbs, but then stuff

was built to be close to the peeps. ◦Disneyland could be a specialized node

The Peripheral ModelThe Peripheral Model

Density Gradient◦ Density of houses diminishes as you get further from the

city center◦ Is it always true?

Fewer people are living in cities now Fewer differences in density within urban areas

The cost of urban sprawl◦ Progressive spread of development over a landscape;

creating of suburbs◦ Not always good

Cost to get roads and utilities out to new places Farmland gone “The country” is farther away for city dwellers

◦ Greenbelts- rings of open space (found in london)◦ Smart growth: legislation to limit urban sprawl in order to

preserve farmland

Suburban SegregationSuburban Segregation