- What does urban geography study? (Object of study)
- History
- Disciplines that nurture urban geography
- Town planning
- Urban sociology
- Urban anthropology
- Urban planification
- References
The urban geography is a branch of geography that focuses on the study of the various factors that shape or shape a city. These aspects have to do with politics, economics, culture and environmental processes.
Much of the research carried out within this discipline serves as the basis for decision-making regarding planning and urban development, as well as the types of public investment that may be generated.
Factors such as culture, politics and economics are able to shape the structure of a city
Image by Pete Linforth from Pixabay
Urban geography is an approach that uses other branches such as cultural or economic geography and thus manages to understand all the human dynamics that have led to the construction of urban spaces.
What does urban geography study? (Object of study)
Specialists within the area of urban geography tend to focus on certain primary aspects such as the ways in which towns and cities are built, the way they are governed, and what the life experience is like within them.
On the other hand, it is also fundamental for the discipline to determine the impact of urban processes on the earth's surface, within the social and physical plane.
There are two characteristic elements of cities that are fundamental from the geographical point of view: location and patterns. The first has to do with spatial distribution, and patterns, the rhythm that is configured within the system of a city and the urban structure that is born from the interactions and patterns of distribution.
These elements can also be classified as interurban, which refer to city systems, and intra-urban, which relate to the internal structure of these cities.
Within the analysis of urban geography, the different existing urban contexts are taken into account from various scales. In the macro-scale perspective the general urban system is observed; the medium scale has to do with the functional aspect of urban areas within a metropolitan space; and finally the microscale, which focuses on neighborhoods, streets, and each individual home.
Among other concepts taken into account are urban forms, social fabrics within the urban and economic context, as well as the development of urban policy.
History
In ancient times, less than 1% of people lived in urbanized areas. Of the first cities built, some can be mentioned such as Mesopotamia, considered one of the first urban regions in the world, as well as the cities rising from the Nile River.
Another of the most relevant of antiquity was Tenochtitlan, where Mexico City is located today and whose structure was planned by the Aztecs.
It was not until the great Industrial Revolution that the rise of urbanization began, one of the greatest social phenomena of recent centuries. Industries generated the growth of cities and the transit of people from rural to urban areas. Part of this is due to sources of work, as well as access to energy resources of the time such as coal.
Urban geography, in its beginnings, served as a complement to professional areas that had to do with urban development and planning. This last branch of study emerged during the 19th century as an attempt to reduce the negative impact of industrialization in cities.
It was born as a discipline after the Second World War, during the increase in urban planning. Two of its main representatives were Chauncy Harris and Edward Ullman, who stand out for their urban research in North America. Both devised one of the most popular models of the composition of American cities.
Disciplines that nurture urban geography
Town planning
It refers to the study of the interaction between the inhabitants of urban areas and their environment. It is a fundamental part of disciplines such as urban planning and urban sociology.
This discipline emerged in the twentieth century together with the birth of the trend of centralization of industries, neighborhoods, the new social organization generated by factories and communication routes.
Today there is a recent concept known as “New Urbanism” that is based on the way in which cities and towns have been built in recent centuries. These principles include streets, walking areas, the establishment of nearby homes and commercial points, along with available public spaces.
Urban sociology
This is the sociological study of metropolitan areas. Study the way in which human interactions take place within the urban context. It focuses on social structures, environmental processes and all changes that may occur, in order to provide relevant data for urban planning and political measures.
Urban anthropology
It is a branch of anthropology that studies the way in which urban areas are molded or shaped by the political, cultural, social and economic forces of a city. Emphasizes the analysis of problems that have to do with poverty, social interaction, urbanization processes and the distribution of urban space.
Urban planification
It is defined as a technique oriented towards the design and regulation of space for its use and the subsequent construction of environments. Some factors that are taken into account in a planning process are: air, resources that come from water and services that cross urban areas such as transportation or communications.
Urban planning is responsible for the design and use of space.
Image by geri cleveland from Pixabay
Other highlights for any urban plan are the physical forms of space and economic functions. For example, commercial activities that are located within the urban space, which are also capable of generating positive or negative social impacts.
It is important to highlight some primary measures that are vital to any planning project today, which are: public welfare, safety, adequate sanitary conditions and protection of the environment.
References
- Urban anthropology. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Recovered from en.wikipedia.org
- Urban sociology. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Recovered from en.wikipedia.org
- Fainstein S (2016). Urban planning. Encyclopædia Britannica. Recovered from britannica.com
- Hannerz U, Kuper A (2019). Anthropology. Encyclopædia Britannica. Recovered from britannica.com
- Johnston R (2018). Geography. Encyclopædia Britannica. Recovered from britannica.com
- Urbanism. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Recovered from en.wikipedia.org
- What is new urbanism ?. Congress for the new urbanism. Recovered from cnu.org
- Schneider R (2015). International Encyclopedia of the Social & Behavioral Sciences (Second Edition). Recovered from sciencedirect.com
- Lombardo N, Lewis R (2018). Urban Historical Geography. Oxford bibliographies. Recovered from oxfordbibliographies.com
- Urban geography. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Recovered from en.wikipedia.org