Environmental science chapter 10

Geographic information system (GIS)

A computerized system for storing, manipulating, and viewing geographic data

Urban Growth Boundary (UGB)

A line that city planners draw on a map to separate urban areas from areas the city would prefer to remain rural

Smart growth

A philosophy of urban growth that focuses on economic and environmental approaches that lead to sustainable growth and the avoidance of sprawl

Heat island

An area which the temperature is several degrees higher than that of the surrounding area

Rural area

Any other type of land use or land cover

Discuss the progress toward sustainability some cities have made and its importance to the world.

Cities as different as Curitiba, Brazil, and New York City have made progress toward sustainability, showing that cities can be a key element in progress toward global sustainability.

Describe the environmental impacts of urbanization.

Cities have both negative environmental impacts, such as pollution, and positive environmental impacts, such as land preservation.

Describe the four different components of city planning.

City planners use tools such as zoning, urban growth boundaries, and principles of smart growth and the "new urbanism" to make cities more livable.

Land use

Human activities that occur on land and are directly related to the land

Differentiate between land cover and land use, and describe how people affect both.

Land cover refers to the vegetation and manufactured structures that cover land. Land use refers to the human activities that occur on land that are directly related to the land. Land cover influences land use, and humans change both when they build urban areas.

Infrastructure

Made up of the facilities, services, and installations needed for the functioning of a community

Urban area

Mostly developed land covered mainly with buildings and roads that has a human population of 2500 or more

Explain the importance of open space to a livable city.

Parks and open space are key elements of livable cities.

Urbanization

Shift of population from the countryside to urban areas

Explain the impacts sprawl has on an area.

Sprawl affects the transportation, pollution, public health, land use, and the economics of an area.

Describe the contributors to sprawl and its patterns.

Sprawl is the spread of low density urban or suburban development outward from a city center. As people move out of cities, population growth and increased per capita land consumption contribute to sprawl. The degree of sprawl can be calculated as the increase in the number of people in an area multiplied by the amount of land the average person lives on.

Greenways

Strips of vegetated open space that connect parks or neighborhoods and are often located along rivers, streams, or canals

City planning

The attempt to design cities so as to maximize their functionality and beauty

Differentiate green buildings from conventional buildings.

The goal of a green building is to save energy and other resources without sacrificing people's comfort.

Zoning

The practice of classifying areas for different types of development and land use

Ecological restoration

The practice of restoring native communities

Explain how and where urbanization occurs.

The shift of population from the countryside to an urban areas is called urbanization. Urbanization occurs when people move out of rural areas to an urban area that has more or better jobs.

Sprawl

The spread of low density urban or suburban development outward from an urban center

Land cover

The vegetation and manufactured structures that cover land

Explain the importance of mass transit options to a city and its residents.

Transportation options are vital to livable cities.