Challenges of Urban Change (College Board AP® Human Geography): Flashcards

Rising property values in the city center push out lower-income residents.

Urbanization can strain infrastructure and may result in overcrowding and pollution.

False.

Suburbanization is the movement of people from urban areas to suburban areas, while reurbanization describes moving back to urban centers.

Blockbusting is the practice of real estate agents inducing people to sell their homes at low prices by implying that property values were falling due to increased minority presence in the neighborhood.

Redlining is the historic discriminatory practice in which banks refused to give home loans to minorities, using "red lines" on maps to mark areas where lenders would refuse loans.

Gentrification refers to the changes a neighborhood undergoes as wealthy residents move in, attracting revitalization, renewal projects, and new economic development.

"White flight" refers to the movement of white residents out of an area as it becomes more racially or ethnically diverse, historically from urban areas to the suburbs.

Blockbusting benefited real estate agents because they resold the houses at a higher price after inducing owners to sell cheaply.

Environmental injustice refers to the disproportionate exposure of minority and low-income communities to environmental hazards such as pollution, poor air and water quality, and toxic waste.

Disamenity zones, also called "zones of abandonment," are areas within a city that lack basic services and infrastructure and are often filled with slums.

Squatter settlements are residential areas on the outskirts of cities characterized by informal housing that often lacks legal recognition or access to government services and infrastructure.

Squatter settlements tend to be located on the edge of cities on vacant or undesirable land that lacks a clear title of ownership.

Rising urban crime rates are caused by a lack of economic and job opportunities, high unemployment, and a lack of educational opportunities.

A lack of access to services perpetuates income inequality in urban areas.

False.

Redlining is banks refusing home loans to minorities, whereas blockbusting is real estate agents inducing owners to sell cheaply by stoking fears about minority presence.

Blockbusting historically led to "white flight", the movement of white residents from urban areas to the suburbs.

They address food insecurity and a lack of affordable housing in urban areas.

Inclusionary zoning is a type of urban planning that requires or incentivizes the inclusion of a certain percentage of affordable housing units in new residential projects.

Inclusionary zoning aims to address shortages of affordable housing and to reduce economic segregation within cities.

A key benefit is the promotion of housing diversity, and therefore socio-economic diversity, in urban areas.

Developers sometimes resist inclusionary zoning because they believe it has an impact on their profit margins.

The local food movement refers to efforts to increase access to fresh, locally produced food in urban areas through shorter supply chains.

The local food movement aims to address food deserts in lower-income areas while promoting healthier food consumption.

The local food movement includes the creation of urban farms, farmers' markets, and community-supported agriculture initiatives.

The movement encounters the high costs of land for urban farming and the inability to produce enough food for large populations.

An environmental benefit is more sustainable processes of food production and transportation due to shorter supply chains.

False.

Inclusionary zoning requires or incentivizes a certain percentage of affordable units within new residential projects; it does not ban market-rate housing.

The local food movement focuses on food produced close to where it is consumed, which requires shorter supply chains.

Urban renewal projects aim to redevelop and revitalize urban areas in response to economic decline or deterioration of infrastructure.

Gentrification is the process by which higher-income residents move into traditionally lower-income neighborhoods, leading to changes in housing, culture, and population demographics.

Positive consequences of urban renewal include increased economic growth, rising property values, and improvements in housing, transportation, and infrastructure.

A city government might target a declining neighborhood and build public housing or encourage private developers to construct new buildings and services.

Renovated housing becomes attractive to wealthier residents because of its proximity to job opportunities, businesses, and entertainment.

Benefits of gentrification include increased public and private investment, lower crime rates, greater economic activity, and new businesses, restaurants, and entertainment venues.

The main negative consequence is the displacement of traditional, lower-income residents who are forced out by rising rents and property values.

Historic neighborhoods may lose their character and experience "placelessness" as traditional lower-income residents and unique local businesses are displaced.

Suburbanization leads to the loss of businesses in the city center as they relocate to the suburbs, while wealthier residents also leave, stranding less affluent residents.

False.

Both also have negative consequences, most notably the displacement of traditional, lower-income residents.

Urban renewal projects aim to redevelop and revitalize urban areas in response to economic decline.

Geographic fragmentation is the division of government responsibilities over urban areas across multiple levels of government, such as local, state, and national.

Functional fragmentation is the division of authority over urban policy among multiple agencies and departments, such as transportation, housing, and health.

It is more difficult because responsibilities are divided between multiple levels of government and multiple agencies.

Local, state, and national governments may each be in charge of policies simultaneously affecting urban areas.

Agencies such as transportation, housing and urban development, and health and human services may each have authority over urban policy.

Fragmentation causes coordination problems, inequitable resource distribution, and limited accountability.

Coordination problems arise from inefficiency and duplication of services when multiple agencies claim jurisdiction over the same issues.

Wealthier areas often have more influence, a larger tax base, and more economic development, leading to disparities in infrastructure and social services.

Limited accountability means residents do not know which agency or level of government should be responsible for fixing particular issues.

True.

Coordination problems from fragmentation may cause inefficiency and duplication of services among agencies.

The division of authority among multiple agencies such as transportation and housing is called functional fragmentation.