540-4 Urban Geography

How does the study of Urban Geography contribute to our understanding of the nature of the city? of the possibilities of the ideal city? How does theology interface with urban geography?

1. Theology & Urban Geography

2. Discerning t he city CITY TRANSFORMATION INTO WHAT? But how do we discern what the ideal city should look like in our context? Discernment is an ancient Christian spiritual discipline and an urban discipline. It is collective. It listens to the wisdom of God , be it found in truth-seeking researchers in their discipline or among godly policymakers CITY TRANSFORMATION AS A GOAL SInce the Garden ends in the city, we perceive that God is an urbanizing God. So we wish to see our cities reflect the themes of the City of God and of the Ideal City. That is a theological vision. 2

3. Hello! I am Dr V i v Grigg I h ave been seeking transform a tion of cities for 45 years. A nd slums. You can find me at [email protected] 3

4. EVERY CITY HAS A PURPOSE(S).

5. How do we discern city purposes? How do we speak of ethics to them? 5

6. Discernment of a city is collective It comes form those who have wisdom and understanding and are godly Such have become experts in their particular fields But are spiritual, so understand the spiritual implications of their academics or their activism. Such listen with humility to others (James 3:16) 6

7. Is critical in disce rn ing : Spiritual history and activity in the city In inviting God to act In seeking his breaking of sin, and strongholds. Collective Prayer Is insufficient for discernment Discernment requires both spirituality and accuracy. Experts, each in their fields are trained to discern truth accurately. At city levels, it is not just words of knowledge needed but the collective wisdom of the wise. 7

8. Two major themes that dominate its study. • problems relating to the spatial distribution of cities and the patterns of movement and links that connect them across space. • patterns of distribution and interaction of people and businesses within cities. Themes of Urban Geography: City Systems Analysis Different levels of analysis. Urban geographers must look at the city: • on the neighborhood • citywide level, • as well as how it relates to other cities on a regional, national and global level. 8

9. Contributions of Urban Geography The Study of Spatial Arrangements W hat are the Geographic arrangements of the City A Theology of Space T he econ o mic arrang e ment of spaces The social arrangement of spaces The spiritual arrangem en t of spaces Theology of Space? Who owns the land? What is the use of the land? Is space supporting humanness? . 9

10. Definition of a City • a concentration of people • with a similar way of life based on job type, cultural preferences, political views and lifestyle. • Specialized land uses, a variety different institutions and use of resources also help in distinguishing one city from another. 10

11. Some Elements of Urban Geography Urban geography is a branch of human geography exploring aspects of cities: • location and space • spatial processes that create patterns observed in urban areas. • the site, evolution and growth, and classification of villages, towns and cities • their location and importance in relation to different regions and cities. • Economic, political and social aspects within cities 11

12. Physical Geography is important in understanding why a city is located in a specific area as site and environmental conditions play a large role in whether or not a city develops. Cultural Geography can aid in understanding various conditions related to an area's people Economic geography aids in understanding the types of economic activities and jobs available in an area. Interdisciplinary : Fields outside of geography such as resource management, anthropology and urban sociology are also important. 12

13. U.S. Racial Segregation Detroit Long Beach New York Washington, D.C. Segregation – The combined result of congregation & discrimination, the spatial separation of specific subgroups within a wider population. Development of American Cities reflect historical trend of racial segregation

14. Central Place theory: Concentric Zones of urban activity in an American city from mid to late 19 th century to mid- 1970s of de- industrialization; Zone in Transition-

15. Rank-Size Rule In 1949, George Zipf devised his theory of rank-size rule to explain the size cities in a country. He explained that the second and subsequently smaller cities should represent a proportion of the largest city. If the largest city in a country contained one million citizens, Zipf stated that the second city would contain one-half as many as the first, or 500,000. The third would contain one-third or 333,333, the fourth would be home to one-quarter or 250,000, and so on, with the rank of the city representing the denominator in the fraction. While some countries' urban hierarchy somewhat fits into Zipf's scheme, later geographers argued that his model should be seen as a probability model, deviations are to be expected. 15

16. Gentrification in Philadelphia – Elite economic class enjoys revitalization of older core residences near the CBD & Downtown of American cities. Controversial for displacing lower income residents Metroburban landscapes – merging of urban centers with edge cities of residences, retail centers, & business parks. Commute times are extended but over time the regions merge into interconnected metro-urban areas. Spatial Organization

17. Primate Cities A country's leading city is always disproportionately large and exceptionally expressive of national capacity and feeling. The primate city is commonly at least twice as large as the next largest city and more than twice as significant. - Mark Jefferson, 1939 However, not every country has a primate city. Paris An excellent example of a primate city is Paris, which truly represents and serves as the focus of France. 17 Influence They dominate the country in influence and are the national focal-point. Their sheer size and activity becomes a strong pull factor, bringing additional residents to the city and causing the primate city to become even larger and more disproportional to smaller cities in the country.

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