AP Human Geography : Suburban Sprawl & Urban Sustainability Problems
Study concepts, example questions & explanations for AP Human Geography
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Example Questions
Example Question #1 : Contemporary Urban Issues
What name is given to a portion of land reserved for farms, parks, and forests to prevent the continuation of an urban sprawl?
Agribusiness
Green protection
Greenbelt
Deurbanization
Commons
Greenbelt
Many contemporary cities have enacted measures to prevent the continuous urban sprawl that results from their ever-growing populations. They reserve a portion of land for farms, parks, forests, and other such things. This is called a “greenbelt.”
Example Question #1 : Contemporary Urban Issues
A city’s metropolitan area includes __________.
the defined political limits of a city government’s jurisdiction
all the suburbs located within ten miles of a city’s outer limits
all the areas where the population can vote for the mayor of the city
all the suburbs located within twenty miles of a city’s outer limits
any surrounding areas which are closely related, either socially or economically, to the city
any surrounding areas which are closely related, either socially or economically, to the city
The “metropolitan area” of a city is defined as all the areas surrounding a city that can be said to have a high-level of economic or social integration with the city. So, if the majority of people who live in an area outside of a city’s political limits still commute to the city for work, school, or recreation than that area is said to be within the city’s “metropolitan area.” The definition is based on economic and social integration, NOT on physical proximity.
Example Question #1 : Contemporary Urban Issues
Which of these is a feature of ghettoization in American cities?
The loss of economic activity for the city
The economic degradation of inner cities
White Americans moving away from the suburbs
The suburbanization of minorities and immigrant populations
The decline of educational institutions throughout the city
The economic degradation of inner cities
The term “ghettoization” is used to refer to the degradation of inner cities in America. It occurs when affluent white Americans move out of inner cities to the suburbs and this population is replaced with much poorer populations. It occurred throughout the United States in the twentieth century and is one of the more significant problems facing American cities in the twenty-first century.
Example Question #1 : Contemporary Urban Issues
The highly urbanized stretch of land that runs along the eastern seaboard of the United States, from Boston to Washington D.C., is an example of a(n) __________.
Megalopolis
Primate city
Urban decay
Polis
Metropolitan area
Megalopolis
The term “megalopolis” is used to describe a stretch of land that contains multiple cities and connecting suburban regions. The stretch of land from Boston to Washington D.C. also includes New York City, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and all the attending suburban areas. It is a highly urbanized stretch of land and therefore it is called a “megalopolis.”
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