2 Urban Structure and the Built Environment Free Online FlashCards

What is urban structure?

Urban structure is the spatial arrangement of a city’s homes, workplaces, shops, public facilities, streets, and open spaces.

What is the built environment?

The built environment consists of the buildings and infrastructure people create.

What does land use describe?

Land use describes the activities on particular areas of land, such as housing, commerce, industry, institutions, recreation, or transportation.

What does bid-rent theory explain?

Bid-rent theory explains how different users compete for locations based on how much they are willing to pay for access and land.

What urban pattern does the simplest bid-rent model predict?

In the simplest model, competition for locations produces a dense center and lower-density uses farther away. Real cities may differ because of terrain, regulations, history, and multiple employment centers.

What characterizes mixed-use development?

Mixed-use development places homes, shops, services, and sometimes workplaces near one another, making some trips by foot, bicycle, or transit more feasible.

What does accessibility measure in a city?

Accessibility is how easily people can reach desired destinations. It helps explain the attractiveness of locations better than distance alone.

How do transport and land use influence each other?

A new station or major road can attract housing and businesses; the resulting development then changes how many people use the route and where trips begin and end.

What are agglomeration benefits?

Proximity can help firms and workers share services, exchange ideas, find customers, and match workers with jobs.

What forces can push households and businesses away from city centers?

Congestion, high land costs, and competition for space can push households and businesses outward.

How do monocentric and polycentric cities differ?

A monocentric city has a dominant central business district; a polycentric city has several employment and commercial centers.

What tools can governments use to shape urban form?

Governments guide development through comprehensive plans, zoning, building rules, infrastructure investment, public-land decisions, and environmental protections.