Urban Development

Urban Development
The growth of cities has played a big role in human civilization. We will learn more in this lesson.

A cities situation is its relative location. Is the city next to a river? Along a major highway?

​Situation

A cities site is its actual location.

​Site

Site vs. Situation

Here are some examples of sites:

​Harbors provide safe places to load and unload ships. Harbor sites help cities grow economically. New York City and Istanbul are examples of harbor cities.

​​Harbor Sites

Some cities are located on island sites. Hong Kong and Singapore are located in islands.

​​Island Sites

A fall line is the part of a river where ships can no longer sail up the river. Goods brought on ships need to be unloaded at the fall line and many cities have grown up on fall lines because of this. Richmond, Virginia is built on the fall line of the James River.

​​Fall Line Site

A confluence site is a site where two rivers come together. Cities are often built at confluence sites because of the benefits to transportation and trade. Khartoum, Sudan and Pittsburg, Pennsylvania are built at confluence sites.

​​Confluence Sites

Hilltop sites are important to defense. Ancient Rome was founded on seven hills. Athens is another example of a city built on a hilltop site.

​​Hilltop Sites

Oasis sites are important because they provide water in otherwise dry areas. People moved to these sites and cities developed. Damascus, Syria is an example of a city built at an oasis site.

Oasis Sites

Some cities are built at sites where rivers get narrow. Because rivers can be more easily crossed at narrow points there are economic and transportation benefits from having a city here. London and Quebec City are example of cities built where rivers narrow.

Sites where rivers narrow

Fill in the Blanks

A cities site is its

location.

Fill in the Blanks

A cities situation is its

location.

Match

Match the following types of city sites with a city that is that type.

• Harbor Site

• Island Site

• Fall Line Site

• Confluence Site

• Hilltop Site

New York City

Singapore

Richmond

Pittsburg

Rome

• New York City

• Singapore

• Richmond

• Pittsburg

• Rome

Fill in the Blanks

Oasis sites are important because they provide

in otherwise dry areas.

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and Quebec City are example of cities built where rivers narrow.

Here are some examples of city situations:

​Baghdad commands the land between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers.

​Istanbul commands the straits between Asia and Europe.

Mecca is the focal point of a large pilgramage every year.

Cape Town is a supply station for ships.

Vladivostok grew up along the Trans-Siberian Railway.

Match

Match the following

• Baghdad

• Istanbul

• Mecca

• Cape Town

• Vladivostok

Between Tigris and Euphrates

Commands important straits

Site of a pilgrimage

Supply Station

Grew up on a railway

• Between Tigris and Euphrates

• Commands important straits

• Site of a pilgrimage

• Supply Station

• Grew up on a railway

The functions of cities. What do they do?

​Historically, cities have provided security and defense for their residents. Many cities had large walls.

​Some cities function as religious centers. They have important religious meetings or host important religious meetings or events.

Cities can also function as trade centers. These cities are important to a regions economy because of the trade that passes through them.

Cities can also be important for government administration. These cities are important to a region because of the laws administered from them.

Some cites function as manufacturing centers. These cities provide jobs and manufactured goods for the region.

Some cites function as service centers. These cities provide customer service and customer service jobs.

Some cites function as education centers These cities have colleges and universities for people to study at.

Fill in the Blanks

City walls were built to provide for security and

.

Multiple Choice

Mecca is an example of a city that functions as a ____________.

• transportation center

• religious center

• government center

Fill in the Blanks

If a city has a university, it is serving as an

center.

City functions can change over time,

​In 1960 the capital of Brazil moved from Rio de Janeiro to Brasilia.

​Pittsburg started a a defensive site with a large fort.
It then became an important manufacturing center.
It is now a city known for its diverse services.

What influences do urban areas have?

Cities often have monuments, symbols, statues, and museums that reinforce national feelings.

​​Nation Building

​Cities are often home to airports, train stations, and other transportation centers.

​​Transportation

​Many migrants first arrive in cities because of the transportation centers and the amount of jobs.

​​Migration magnets

​Large, diverse populations often drive new ideas into the population.

​​New Idea Generators

​Cities are often home to many different kinds of people living together.

​​Diversity

​Cities are often the home of colleges and universities.

Education

​Corporations often have their headquarters in large cities and hold their meetings in urban areas.

​​Corporate headquarters

Major TV, radio, and newspaper businesses are usually located in big cities.

​​Media Centers

Match

Match the following examples with the function they correspond to.

• Nation Building

• Transportation

• Education

• Diversity

Monuments and Statues

Airports and Train Stations

Universities

Many types of people

• Monuments and Statues

• Airports and Train Stations

• Universities

• Many types of people

What problems are found in urban centers?

Transportation problems often arise because so may people are trying to move around in a small space.

​Tension between the very rice and very poor. Cities often have very rich neighborhoods and very poor neighborhoods close to one another.

​Public services can be strained in large urban areas. Large numbers of people needing healthcare and other social services can lead to shortages for those services

​Pollution is a concern in large urban areas. A lot of pollution is generated in cities by all of the people and businesses located their.

​Sprawl, when a city spreads and takes over farmland and forest land, is a major problem associated with cities.

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is when a city spreads and takes over farmland and forest land.