URBAN GEOGRAPHY
URBAN GEOGRAPHY CRITERIA OF AN URBAN PLACE
• The study of the site, evolution, morphology, ✓ A place designated by administrative
spatial pattern, and classification of towns. status;
• Study of the areas where the majority of ✓ A minimum population;
economic activities are in the secondary ✓ A minimum population density;
sector and tertiary sectors. ✓ A concept of contiguity to include or
• It can be considered a sub-discipline of the exclude under suburban area or loosely
larger field of human geography with scattered settlement;
overlaps of content with that of cultural ✓ A proportion engaged in non-agricultural
geography. occupations; and
✓ A functional character.
DEFINITION OF URBAN GEOGRAPHY
o Is the study of urban places with QUALITIES OF A CITY OR TOWN
reference to their geographical o Town is a kind of settlement having a
environment. social organization of much greater
o Is the subdiscipline of geography that scope than a simple rural establishment.
concentrates on those parts of the - It does not represent a mere greater
Earth’s surface that have a high number of people agglomerated in a vast
concentration of buildings and area. But it represents a stage of civilization
infrastructures. quite different from a locality expressing a
o Branch of science which deals with the rural way of life.
study of urban areas, in terms of - Cities and towns have their historical origin.
concentration, infrastructure, economy, Blanche has pointed out that cities
and environmental impacts. characteristically possess mythical halos
o It includes the site revolution pattern and surrounding their genesis (ritual, eponymous
classification of towns (Griffith Taylor). hero, etc.)
o Urban geography is infecting the - Town and cities are creatures of commerce,
intensive study of towns and their and politics accompanying the earliest
development in all their geographical developments such as Babylon, Athens,
aspects. London, Paris, Delhi, etc.
URBAN PLACE ATTRIBUTES OF URBAN GEOGRAPHY
• UNO defines it as a permanent
settlement with a minimum population of
20,000 as an urban place.
• Several countries have their own
minimum such as Botswana (5,000),
Ethiopia (2,000), Argentina (2,000), Israel
(2,000), Czechoslovakia (5,000), Iceland
(200), Norway (200), Portugal (10,000),
Japan (50,000), Australia (1,000), India
(5,000), etc.
• The difference between rural and urban SCOPE/NATURE/THEME OF URBAN
depends upon their nature of work – the GEOGRAPHY
former being engaged in agriculture 1. The physical structure of the city;
operations and the latter in non- 2. The stage of its historical development,
agriculture activities. and
3. The process influencing the structure.
4.
URBAN GEOGRAPHY
CITIES DEFINITION
• A city isn’t just a descriptive definition
(it’s big with a lot of people), it’s a
functional one.
• It’s the center of business and culture
in a given area.
• It’s the hub that you live around.
ELEMENTS
EXPANDING SCOPE OF URBAN GEOGRAPHY • SUBURBS
o Sub-urban
o Touch the central city or touch other
suburbs that touch the central city
o Differing levels of development – some
are residential, some commercial, some
industrial
• EXURBS
o Smaller units farther away from the main
city
METHODS OR APPROACHES OF URBAN PLACE o The city, the suburbs and the exurbs
- The distinction between the urban as a make up the METROPOLITAN AREA.
physical entity and the urban as a quality
helps us to understand the complexity of WHERE DO CITIES TEND TO DEVELOP?
urban life and illuminates different Here are a few:
approaches to the study of cities. ▪ Water access
▪ Dry area
▪ Easy access to building materials
▪ Defensive position
▪ Fuel supply
▪ Food supply
▪ Travel intersections or bridge points
AIM OF URBAN GEOGRAPHY ▪ Sheltered areas
• For the explanation of urban study its
importance and aims, man and places LAND-USE PATTERNS
are interrelated and shown by Ray and o RESIDENTIAL
Northern. - Where people live/dwell – their homes.
• Town is a place of maximum collection of o INDUSTRIAL
population. So two things are important - Where things are made, stored, or shipped.
in the study of urban geography i.e. man o COMMERCIAL
and place. - Private businesses and retails.
• All the interrelation between man and o CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT
place, shows the maximum use of place - The locus of commercial activity in the city.
for man is the main-aim. - Expensive real state.
Thrust of Study in Urban Geography
