Urban Geography Quiz

Prior to 1850 the location of all major North American cities was related, chiefly, to the presence of

• transcontinental highways

• defensive sites

• railroad junctions

• navigable waterways

• waterpower

Which of the following types of urban land use is most common on the periphery of cities in Latin America?

• A plaza surrounded by a central business district.

• Parks and recreational areas.

• Upper-class residential developments.

• Residential squatter settlements.

• Rail transportation corridors.

International company headquarters, significant global financial functions, and a polarized social structure are defining characteristics of

• Primate cities

• Entrepots

• Forward capitals

• World cities

• Edge cities

Which of the following best explains what the central business district data indicate?

• Business owners want to have fast Internet available for their consumers in order to improve online ratings for local services and generate return customers.

• Consumers demand that the fastest Internet service available before they will consider visiting a city or selecting a hotel for work or business trips.

• Politicians and activists have made Internet connectivity a basic right of urban residents and feel that governments should provide services to increase the connectivity of citizens.

• Government policy makers and business partners have focused infrastructure efforts on creating a downtown work environment that is positive for economic development.

• Communications companies expect that increasing Internet speeds will lead to increased number of subscribers to their networks

What information regarding causes and effects does the image convey about the squatter settlement at the edge of a city in South Africa?

• The image shows the living conditions of people in the squatter settlement, who are unable to acquire permanent housing within the city.

• The image shows the location of the squatter settlement relative to the central business district where wealthy people live.

• The image shows the size of the squatter settlement and the need for additional land.

• The image shows the cultural beliefs and values of the people living in the squatter settlement.

• The image can be used to determine the number of people who live in the squatter settlement.

Which of the following is useful for describing a settlement node whose primary function is to provide support for the population in its hinterland?

• Von Thünen’s model of land use

• Concentric zone model

• Core-periphery model

• Rostow’s model of economic development

• Christaller’s model of central place

Which of the following was a consequence of blockbusting in North American cities?

• European immigrants moved into housing vacated by upwardly mobile Americans.

• Poor residents were unable to acquire mortgages.

• Real estate agents lost sellers.

• Neighborhoods were razed for commercial establishments.

• The ethnic composition of neighborhoods changed.

Mixed-use development, pedestrian-friendly design, and the incorporation of front porches and alleys are design elements of which of the following?

• Urban renewal

• Gentrification

• New Urbanism

• Urban sprawl

• Sustainable development

According to the rank-size rule, which of the following is typically true of higher-order services, such as hospitals with a large number of medical specialties?

• They are located in suburbs.

• They are located in small towns.

• They have smaller ranges and thresholds.

• They have larger ranges and thresholds.

• They have larger ranges and smaller thresholds.

Which of the following statements explains the cost and distance illustrated in the model in relation to the urban area’s residential patterns?

• Since land is more expensive in the suburbs, wealthier families build larger single-family homes in zone 5 in areas that provide amenities such as private schools for their children.

• Land is cheaper near the central business district (CBD), resulting in the construction of low-income apartments and giving low-income residents access to the amenities of the CBD.

• The lower cost of land farther from the CBD makes it affordable to build single-family homes in zones 4 and 5 for middle-income and high-income residents who desire to move into less crowded areas.

• People do not live in the CBD because of the traffic congestion, high cost of land, and lack of amenities such as museums and restaurants.

• Population density increases with the distance from the CBD as land prices decrease, allowing residents of all income levels to move farther away from zone 2.