The Origin and Influences of Urbanization
Introduced| English | Meaning |
|---|---|
| urbanization/ˌɜːbənaɪˈzeɪʃn/ | An increase in the share of a population living in urban areas, often accompanied by changes in settlements and economic activity. |
| site/saɪt/ | The physical features of a place (a hill, a harbour, a river). |
| situation/ˌsɪtʃuːˈeɪʃn/ | A place's location relative to other places and connections, including routes, markets and surrounding activities. |
| suburb/ˈsʌbɜːb/ | A settlement or residential area on the outskirts of a larger urban centre, often connected to it through commuting and services. |
| suburbanization/səˌbɜːbənaɪˈzeɪʃn/ | The growth of settlements and movement of people or activities towards the outskirts of a city. |
| urban sprawl/ˈɜːbən sprɔːl/ | The outward spread of relatively low-density urban development, often separating land uses and increasing dependence on motor vehicles. |
The growth of cities
- Urbanization 城市化 is the growth in the share of people living in cities.
- It began with the farming surplus that freed people from the land.
- It sped up hugely with the Industrial Revolution and its factories.
Urbanization is best defined as...
Difficulty 1/5 · 100 coins + a small bonus on first completion today
Urbanization = a rising percentage of people in cities.
Site and situation
- Site 地点 is the physical features of a place (a hill, a harbour, a river).
- Situation 区位 is its location relative to other places (near trade routes).
- Both help explain why a city grew where it did.
Site is the place itself; situation is its connections to other places
Site or situation?
Sort each description as a site factor or a situation factor.
A city's site refers to its physical features, like a harbour or a hill.
Difficulty 1/5 · 100 coins + a small bonus on first completion today
Site = physical features; situation = relative location.
Select all situation factors for a city.
Difficulty 2/5 · 140 coins + a small bonus on first completion today
Trade routes, markets, and convergence are situation; a cliff is a site feature.
Match each term to its meaning.
Difficulty 2/5 · 140 coins + a small bonus on first completion today
Site = features; situation = location; suburbanization = outward spread.
Spreading outward
- A suburb 郊区 is a residential area on the edge of a city.
- Suburbanization 郊区化 and urban sprawl 城市蔓延 spread cities outward.
- Cars and cheap land at the edge drive this outward growth.
The outward spread of a city into low-density edges is called urban ____.
Difficulty 1/5 · 100 coins + a small bonus on first completion today
Urban sprawl is car-driven low-density outward growth.
Urbanization (a rising share of people in cities) is not the same as a city just getting bigger. A country urbanizes when the percentage living in cities rises — driven today mostly by rural-to-urban migration in the developing world.
A trading city grew at the mouth of a river: its site (a sheltered harbour) and its situation (where inland trade routes meet the sea) both made it a natural place for a port. Centuries later, cars let its people spread into suburbs at the edge.
Urbanization is the rising share of people in cities, begun by farming surplus and sped by industry. A city's site (physical features) and situation (relative location) explain where it grew. Suburbanization and sprawl spread cities outward.
Write from a harbour as site
- A city grew beside a deep natural harbour.
- It also lies on the sea route between two rich regions.
Which fact is site, and which is situation?
Site is the local setting. Situation is the setting relative to other places.
What is the harbour in this explanation?
Difficulty 1/5 · 100 coins + a small bonus on first completion today
The harbour is a feature of the place itself.