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Geography

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Exploring the Urban Community: A GIS Approach
Richard P Greene, Northern Illinois University
James B Pick, University of Redlands

ISBN-10: 0130175765
ISBN-13: 9780130175762

Publisher: Prentice Hall
Copyright: 2006
Format: Cloth; 512 pp
Published: 04/18/2005

Suggested retail price: $114.80
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For courses in Urban Geography and Urban Planning.

This book covers all the important traditional urban geography topics such as urban spatial structure, central place theory, neighborhood change, and industrial locations analysis, and also expands upon these to include contemporary topics such as global cities, gender, activism, technology, postmodernism, trans-nationalism, sexuality, and environmental justice. In addition to broad and very current coverage, this contemporary, well-written treatment of urban geography features strong integration of GIS technologies, and thus gives instructors the option to utilize geographic information systems in their teaching. The integration of GIS benefits students by its use as an analytic tool to understand urban phenomenon, and by its importance as a skill for future jobs. The GIS coverage provides a valuable tool for professors to use to teach and engage students in active learning.

Wide coverage of both traditional and contemporary topics – Covers all the important traditional urban geography topics, but also expands to include contemporary topics such as global cities, gender, activism, technology, postmodernism, trans-nationalism,sexuality, and environmental justice.

Many of these topics will appeal to today’s generation of students, as well as faculty with particular interests beyond more traditional topics.

GIS exercises – Unique to this text, each chapter contains a GIS exercise that illustrates an urban issue key to that chapter.

In each chapter, a section entitled “Analyzing an Urban Issue” provides background on the urban problem and highlights what the exercise will be doing.
The purpose of the exercises is to learn urban concepts, not to master the skills of GIS.
A CD accompanies the book and contains the exercise files.
GIS software is not required to use the fruits of the GIS technologies to illustrate the concept at hand.

Lab assignments – Students are given lab assignments for some, but not all, of the exercises.

The student can do the exercises at assigned lab times.
Alternatively, the exercises may be demonstrated in class by the instructor in the classroom to highlight concepts.
Exercise files are contained on the book’s CD. They run under the ArcGIS 9 software from ESRI, Inc., and are compatible with earlier ArcGIS 8 software.

Currency of data throughout – Much of the U.S. and Mexican data comes from the 2000 censuses of those nations (the most recent available and only fully released in 2003).

For other nations, effort has been made to obtain year 2000 or more recent data.
Enables instructors to discuss from the textbook today’s urban problems, rather than having to do their own data-gathering to maintain currency in the classroom.

Excellent maps, charts, and artwork – Provides maps and graphic images that today’s students respond to.
Flexible presentation for wide appeal – Text is appropriate for a variety of urban studies and urban planning courses, as well as applied GIS courses with an urban focus.

(NOTE: Each chapter begins with an Introduction and concludes with a Summary and GIS Exercise.)

1. Urban Geography and the Spatial Display of Urban Environments

The Study of Urban Geography

Urban Geography as a Discipline: Its Importance

An International View to Urban Geography

Analyzing An Urban Issue: Sunbelt Growth

The Chicago School and its Link to Urban Geography

The LA School of Urban Studies

Data and Spatial Analysis in Urban Geography

Alternative Approaches to Urban Geography

Geographic Information Systems

Urban Analysis Using GIS

The Approach of the Book

Summary

An Introduction to GIS and Spatial Analysis Principles

GIS Exercise: Population Growth in the Sunbelt versus the Rustbelt

2. The Dynamics of Cities

Introduction

Economic Change

Demographic Change

Social Change and Socioeconomic Polarization

Megacity Profile of Chicago

Megacity Profile of Los Angeles

Megacity Profile of Mexico City

Analyzing an Urban Issue: Changes in Population Ranks Among Areas of Chicago and Los Angeles

Summary

GIS Exercise: Rank Mobility Index Applied to Chicago and Los Angeles

3. Defining the Metropolis

Urban and City Concepts and Process

Definitions of City, Urban Area and Metropolitan Area

International Comparisons

City Size Distributions and Census Definitions

City as Municipality

City as a Built-Up Area

City as Metropolis

Analyzing an Urban Issue: Metropolitan Definition

Other Approaches to Defining the Metropolis: the Case of Mexico

Summary

GIS Exercise: Metropolitan Area Definitions for Springfield, Missouri: Calculating U.S. Census Concepts

4. The Internal Structure of Cities

Introduction

Classic Urban Development Models

Concentric Zone Model

Sector Model

Multiple Nuclei Model

Structuralism and Postmodernism: Alternative Perspectives

Have the Classic Models Stood the Test of Time?

Analyzing an Urban Issue

Chicago and Los Angeles Urban Development Patterns

Mexico City Urban Density Patterns: Density Gradients

Convergence and Divergence from the Classic Models: The Case of Chicago

Conclusion

GIS Exercise: Population Density Mapping Comparisons for Chicago, Los Angeles, and Mexico City

5. Systems of Cities

Introduction

Central Place Theory

Analyzing an Urban Issue: Central Places Hierarchy in Snohomish County, Washington

Contemporary Central-Place Research and the Gravity Model

City Size Distributions

Evolution of the American Urban System

Global Cities

Contemporary Research on Urban Systems

Summary

GIS Exercise: Central Place Provisioning in Snohomish County, Washington

6. Neighborhoods

Introduction

Concept of Neighborhood

Social Life in the City/Urbanism as a Way of Life

Gated Communities

Change in Neighborhood Racial Composition

Analyzing an Urban Issue: Neighborhood Transitions

Gentrification

Neighborhood Activism

Conclusion

GIS Exercise: Neighborhood Change in St. Louis: Analysis with Transition Techniques

7. Migration and Residential Mobility

Introduction

Concepts and Factors of Migration

Models of Migration

Behavioral Processes of Residential Mobility

Directional Bias in Moving

Analyzing an Urban Issue: Accessibility Index in Los Angeles

Migration Patterns and Trends in the United States and Australia

International Immigration

Transnational Identities

Case of Immigration Impact on a City: Dominicans in New York City

Rural-Urban Migration and China’s Cities

Conclusion

GIS Exercise: Analysis of Population Potential in Los Angeles

8. Race, Ethnicity, Gender, and Poverty

Ethnic Enclaves, Social and Community Identity

Concepts and Processes of Race, Ethnicity, and Segregation. Importance of scale. Centrographic method.

Analyzing an Urban Issue: Segregation

Cities and Immigrants

Waves of Immigration in the U.S.

Racial Segregation

Emerging Ethnic Hot Spots in the Suburbs

Gender

Poverty and Its Measurement

Poverty in the U.S. and Its Cities

Extreme Poverty: the Ghetto

Another Type of Poverty: Colonias along the Mexican Border

Summary

GIS Exercise: Ethnic Change in St. Louis using a Centrographic Method

9. Industrial Location

Introduction

Industrial Classification and Location Concepts and Processes

Manufacturing Location Theory and Agglomeration

Least-Cost Theory

Agglomeration Economies

Intra-Metropolitan Industrial Location Theories

Analyzing an Urban Issue: Intra-Urban Industrial Location

Location Quotient

A Comparison of Professional Services and Manufacturing Spatial Patterns

Industry Location Trends Across Cities

High Technology Industry

Maquiladora Industry on the Mexico/U.S. Border: A Unique Manufacturing Region

Consumer Services and Cities

Retail Location Patterns within Cities

The Consumer Cities Hypothesis

U.S.-Mexico Twin Cities Consumer Interaction on the Border

The Geography of Producer Services

Summary

GIS Exercise: Industry Location with Location Quotient Analysis in Los Angeles

10. Urban Core and Edge City Contrasts

Introduction

Central City Decline

Urban Sprawl

Trends in Urban Development Rates

Analyzing an Urban Issue: Urban Sprawl, Its Measurement, and Its Impacts

Sprawl Outside the United States: the Case of Sydney, Australia

Transportation and Urban Sprawl

Edge Cities

Smart Growth

Portland’s Growth Boundary

Summary

GIS Exercise: Land Use Conversion in Chicago and Los Angeles

11. Environmental Problems

Introduction

Concepts and Processes of Urban Environment

Land Use

Water Resources

Urban Flooding

Solid Wastes

Energy

Air Pollution

Analyzing an Urban Issue: Air Pollution in Mexico City

Environmental Justice and Preserving the Natural Environment

Conclusion

GIS Exercise: Spatial Comparison of Air Pollutants in Mexico City

12. Urban and Regional Planning

Introduction

Antecedents

Garden Cities

Progressive Movement and Zoning

Modern Planning: Metropolitan and Regional Planning

Growth Management

Analyzing an Urban Issue: Land Use Planning

Planning for Smart Growth

Case Study of Urban Planning for Irvine, California

Urban Governance and Urban Politics

Technology and Its Influence on the City