AP Human Geography Political Geography

Urban Geography
By Sanay
Political Geography
This unit is focused on how geographers study urban areas, spatial assumptions
about structures in cities, the ways people organize cities, how political and
economic policies shape cities,as well as comparing cities on a global level.
The Hearths of Urbanization
1. Mesopotamia was the first urban hearth, which included the cities of Ur and Babylon. It was located near the Tigris and
Euphrates rivers. In the cities of mesopotamia they had palaces. Temples, and walls which were built with taxes and
tributes collected by the priest-kings from the commoners.
2. The second heart of urbanization, the Nile River valley, dates back to 3200 BCE. irrigation distinguished the Nile from
other Urban hearts. the different social classes of the Nile civilization by the great pyramids, tombs, and statues built
by slaves and laborers. one distinct feature of now cities is the lack of walls, which was likely an environmental
decision. Walls on the Nile side would have blocked access to the river, which was needed for irrigation because the
Nile flooded annually. The river left rich sediment behind on the floodplain when the river receded and walls would
have blocked the river from flooding and annually nourishing the agricultural fields. A lack of walls may have also been
political decision as settlements along the now were part of the same civilization so they would not have fought.
3. The third Urban hearth which dates to 2900 BCE was the Indus River Valley another place where agriculture likely diffuse
from the fertile crescent. the cities of harappa and mohenjo-Daro distinct from every other Urban Hearth as they do not show
signs of social classes. The intricate planning of cities points to the existence of a leadership class but built landscape does
not indicate who was in charge. all houses are equal in size and have the same amenities and there are no places or
monuments aside from their thick walls.
4. The fourth Urban Hearth arose around the Huang He and Wei valleys of China dating back to 1500 bce. the cities were
planned to coincide with the cardinal directions and reflected the Chinese understanding of a story. The typical city had a
vertical structure in the middle surrounded by temples and palaces and circled with an inner wall. Cities also had outer walls.
some workers lived inside the outer one some lived outside it. Leaders advertise their power by building enormous
structures including the great wall and the Tomb of the emperor Qin Xi Huang.
5. The fifth Urban Hearth found in mesoamerica dates to 1100 bce. the ancient cities of mesoamerica religious centers. the
whole milk built cities including San Lorenzo on the Gulf Coast of mexico. they carved large Stone monuments and
archaeologists believed they moved the volcano stones to these monuments over 50 miles from the interior of Mexico to the
coast. the Olmec civilization died out, but based on all milk cultural teachings the Maya built the cities in the same region
that were also centered on religious temples .
6. Recent archaeological evidence establishes Peru as a sixth urban hearth where people have built cities dating back to
900 BCE the largest settlement chvian was cited at an elevation of 10,530 Ft in the Andean highlands.
Urban Morphology and Functional ZOnation
● Urban geography encompasses two fundamental aspects that contribute to shaping the overall
image of a city: urban morphology and functional zonation. Urban morphology pertains to the
physical layout of a city, encompassing the dimensions and configurations of structures as well as
the intricate pathways of infrastructure. In contrast, functional zonation denotes the systematic
division of a city into distinct zones based on their assigned purposes or usage, such as residential
or industrial areas. Through comprehending the diverse zones of a city and their respective
functions, we can delve into the dynamics of power and wealth distribution in ancient urban centers
and glean an understanding of what contemporary power holders prioritize.
Site and situation
Primate Cities
● Primate Cities: At least twice as big as any other city in the state.
● Social, Political, and Economic center of the state.
● Negatives: Overcrowding, pollution, crime, other social issues, unequal development, unequal
distribution of wealth, etc.
● Positives: Pull factors and central location can help with focus of the state, focus of development for
state, agglomeration of economic activity, large markets, higher education’s.

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Urban Geography

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