AP Urbanization & City Models — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is urbanization?
- The increase in population living in urban areas relative to rural areas (Correct answer)
- The process of building new cities from scratch
- The renovation of old buildings
- The expansion of agricultural land
Correct answer: The increase in population living in urban areas relative to rural areas
Urbanization is the process by which an increasing proportion of a population comes to live in urban areas, driven by economic opportunities and social factors.
Question 2: What is the concentric zone model of urban structure?
- A model showing cities growing outward in rings from the central business district (Correct answer)
- A model of circular road systems
- A plan for building circular cities
- A theory about suburban sprawl only
Correct answer: A model showing cities growing outward in rings from the central business district
The concentric zone model, developed by Ernest Burgess, depicts cities as growing outward in concentric rings from a central business district.
Question 3: What is a megalopolis?
- A large urbanized region formed by several metropolitan areas merging together (Correct answer)
- A single very large city
- A city with over one million people
- A planned capital city
Correct answer: A large urbanized region formed by several metropolitan areas merging together
A megalopolis is a large, continuous urbanized region formed when multiple metropolitan areas grow together, such as the Northeast corridor from Boston to Washington D.C.
Question 4: What is gentrification?
- The process of renovating deteriorated neighborhoods, often displacing lower-income residents (Correct answer)
- Building new suburbs
- Demolishing old buildings
- Creating public parks in cities
Correct answer: The process of renovating deteriorated neighborhoods, often displacing lower-income residents
Gentrification involves the renovation and improvement of deteriorated urban neighborhoods, often resulting in increased property values and displacement of lower-income residents.
Question 5: What is the difference between a suburb and an exurb?
- Suburbs are adjacent to cities; exurbs are beyond suburbs in more rural areas (Correct answer)
- They are the same thing
- Exurbs are closer to the city center
- Suburbs are always larger than exurbs
Correct answer: Suburbs are adjacent to cities; exurbs are beyond suburbs in more rural areas
Suburbs are residential areas adjacent to cities, while exurbs are communities beyond the suburbs, further from the urban center, often in more rural settings.
Question 6: What challenges does rapid urbanization create?
- Strain on infrastructure, housing shortages, pollution, and inequality (Correct answer)
- Only positive economic growth
- No significant challenges
- Reduced population density
Correct answer: Strain on infrastructure, housing shortages, pollution, and inequality
Rapid urbanization creates challenges including infrastructure strain, housing shortages, increased pollution, traffic congestion, and growing inequality.
AP Urbanization & City Models
What is urbanization?