Urban Morphology and Site/Situation

 

A. What is morphology?

 

A morphology is the form of a city, which varies but often includes an urban population, a center, a perimeter, and an internal transportation network.

 

B. What is site?

 

A site is the physical character of a place.

 

C. What is situation?

 

A situation is the way in which a particular place relates to the space that surrounds it.

 

II. Urban Definitions

 

A. Hamlet, Village, City, Metropolis, Megalopolis - Describe each one. What’s the difference between each one?

 

A Hamlet is a small settlement, generally one smaller than a village. A Village is a group of houses and associated buildings, larger than a hamlet and smaller than a town, situated in a rural area. A City is a large town. A metropolis is a very large and densely populated industrial and commercial city. A Megalopolis is is typically defined as a chain of roughly adjacent metropolitan areas. The differences between each one is the population and how big that place is as well as the different builds that are available.

 

B. What is a CBD and what services are found in the CBD?

 

A CBD is the Central Business District and things that are found in the Central Business District are like big monuments and business as well as other important buildings.

 

III. Models

 

The different types of models are the Burgess Concentric Zone Model, the Hoyt's Sector Model, and the Multiple Nuclei Model.

 

A. Burgess Concentric Zone Model

 

The Burgess Concentric Zone Model is one of the earliest theoretical models to explain urban social structures. It was created by sociologist Ernest Burgess in 1923. In the Burgess Concentric Zone model it has 5 sections that are around one another. The CBD is in the middle, and around that is the section with the factories and industries. Around that is the working class housing with the middle class housing around that. The last section around everything is the communter zone. 

 

B. Hoyt's Sector Model

 

The Hoyt's Sector Model is a model of urban land use proposed in 1939 by economist Homer Hoyt. It is a modification of the concentric zone model of city development. The benefits of the application of this model include the fact it allows for an outward progression of growth. In this model there is 6 sections. Again in the middle is the CBD. Surrounding just about half of the CBD you have the Zone of Transition. On the other side you have covering a small part is the lower class area, with a mix of the Industry. On the other side around the Zone of Transition you have the middle class but in the middle of the middle class area, you have the upper class. 

 

C. Multiple Nuclei Model

The Multipe Nuclei Model was created by Chauncy Harris and Edward Ullman in the 1945. It is an economical model. in the Multiple Nuclei Model it has 9 different sections. This time the CBD isnt exactly in the middle, but a little more off to the left. To the left of that is the light manufacturing area and what surrounds that area is the low class residential area. Below that you have a small area for heavy manufacturing and evne farther you have your industrial suburbs. To the right of the CBD you have a big area for the middle class residential area and then another area for the high class residential next to that but i between both there is a small area for the outlying business district. Lastly under the High class residential you have another small area for the residential suburbs. 

 

D. Urban Realms Model

Urban Realms Models were created by James E. Vance Jr., in the 1960s, and they shows the spatial components of a modern metropolis. Each "realm" of the model is separate and used for a different purpose, but are linked together to make one large, fluid city. In this model it considers the urban realm boundary, and where the airports are. In this model the CBD is in the middle with different section surrounding that area. 

 

E. Latin American Model

 

Latin American Model combines elements of Latin American Culture and globalization by combining radial sectors and concentric zones. In this model it has the CBD in the middle going down. Around the CBD you have the Zone of Maturity as well as the gentrification. They around that you have the zone of situ accretion with 2 intersections with the zone peripheral squatter settlements which leds to the outside of the other zone. Lastly the CBD connects to the industrial park on the outside. 

 

F. Southeast Asian Model

 

The southeast Asian Model was developed by T.G McGee. The focal point of the city is the colonial port zone combined with the large commercial district that surrounds it. So from the bottom up it goes port zone, mixed land use zone with the government zone, then the high class zone with the middle density residential zone, then the high class zone or the zone of new suburbs and squatter areas, then the market gardening zone and lastly the new industrial suburbs.

 

G. African City Model

 

In the African City model was created by De Blij, a famous geographer. The tropics of Africa remain under forty percent urbanized and outside this area, the remaining regions are about fifty-seven percent urban and thats what influenced this model. So from going from the inside to the outside it goes ethnic neighborhoods, mining and manufacturing zone, and then the informal satellite township. 

 

 

IV. Urban Terms

 

Urban Terms are white flight, sprawl, bedroom communites, zoning, NIMBY, revitalization, and gentrification. 

 

A. White Flight

 

White Flight means the move of white city-dwellers to the suburbs to escape the influx of minorities.

 

B. Sprawl

 

A sprawl is the development of new housing sites at relatively low density and at locations that are not contiguous to the existing built-up area.

 

C. Bedroom Communities

 

Bedroom Communities are communities where many commuters live and only go to there home to sleep.

 

D. Zoning

 

Zoning is when you are dividing an area into zones or sections reserved for different purposes such as residence and business and manufacturing etc.

 

E. NIMBY

 

NIMBY is an acronym for "not in my backyard;" it's used to describe opposition by residents to a proposal for a new development close to them. Examples may include, but are not limited to tall buildings, wind turbines, landfills, incinerators, power plants, prisons, mobile telephone network masts, and especially transportation improvements.

 

F. Revitalization

 

Revitalization is the process occurring in some urban areas experiencing inner city decay that usually involves the construction of new shopping districts, entertainment venues, and cultural attractions to entice young urban professionals back into the cities where nightlife and culture are more accessible.

 

G. Gentrification

 

Gentrification is a process of converting an urban neighborhood from a predominantly low-income renter-occupied area to a predominantly middle-class owner-occupied area.

 

H. Anchor

 

Anchor is a child born a U.S. citizen in order to facillitate immigration through family reunification under the provisions of the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965. 

 

V. New Urbanism

 

A. Describe what new urbanism is and give examples.

 

New urbanism is an urban design movement which promotes environmentally friendly habits by creating walkable neighborhoods containing a wide range of housing and job types. Some places with the new urbanism are Astrallia, Canada, and Wales.