Urban Geography 4.4The study of how people use space in cities
is called urban geographyCities are centers of business and
cultureThey serve as the birthplace of innovation and changeUrban
lifestyles are different from those of towns, villages and rural
areasAn urban area develops around a central city A built up area
in the surrounding area of the main city is called a suburbIf it
has open land separating from the city it is called an exurbAll
these areas together form what is called a metropolitan areaA
megalopolis is formed when several metropolitan areas grow
togetherThe dramatic rise in the number of cities and the number of
people living in cities since the Industrial Revolution is called
urbanization
City LocationMany cities are found in locations that allow good
transportation: river valleys, lakes, coastlinesCities may grow
close to resourcesSacramento grew from a gold discoveryCities are
often places were goods are shifted from one form of transportation
to anotherAlong the Fall Line at the PiedmontChicago lies where
railroads meet a lakeCities may benefit from specific
functionsPittsburgh: Steel Brasilia: GovernmentSan Diego: Navy
portKnoxville: University
Basic land use patterns found in cities areResidential: single-
and multi-family housingIndustrial: factories and assembly
plantsCommercial: used for private business and selling of retail
productsThe core of the city is almost always based on commercial
activity and is called the central business district
(CBD)Generally, the further away from the CBD you are the lower the
value of the land
The city is the center of many functionsGovernmentCommercial
offices and shoppingEducation, culture and entertainmentWarehousing
and manufacturingResidentialTransportation systems can give
geographers clues to the distribution of functions
