Key Urban Planning Terms and Concepts
Key Urban Planning Terms
A
Accessibility
Potential for physical and social networking within a social group or urban place with the rest of the city.
Urban Agglomeration
The accumulation of people, structures, and activities in an urban geographic space.
C
Central Area
Business district, downtown; central gathering of commercial and service establishments, often with high densities, entertainment, and meeting venues.
City
Geographical area with residential, administrative, processing, and exchange functions, characterized by population density, social interaction, and urban infrastructure.
City Bedroom
Urban area predominantly for housing, where residents commute to work elsewhere. Similar to a satellite city.
Community
Groups of people living nearby, linked by activities and social attachments.
Conurbation
Geographical-spatial conjunction of two or more urban areas forming a single urban sprawl.
D
District
Division of a city based on physical or functional characteristics, e.g., residential, commercial.
Downtown
Main core of attraction within an urban area, typically with government institutions, public services, and shopping centers.
G
Green Area
Public land within an urban area with vegetation, gardens, and woodlands.
H
Habitat
The physical and social environment in which humans live.
Hinterland
Land closely linked to a city, often the surrounding area.
Housing Complex
A group of planned homes with necessary facilities and urban services.
Human Settlements
Final phase of migration, where people establish permanent residence. Geographic space with permanent population groups.
I
Immigration
Displacement of population to a new destination, temporarily or permanently.
Infrastructures
Physical elements enabling transport, water and sewer services, drainage, electricity, and waste removal.
L
Labor Force
Section of the population considered capable of working in paid activities.
Leisure
Activities for enjoyment and physical/intellectual restoration.
M
Marginality
Phenomenon where sectors of the population are segregated from economic activities and public services, characterized by unemployment and low income.
Metropolitan Area
Area with over 100,000 population containing a city, with a majority engaged in non-agricultural activities.
Metropolitan Region
Region including a city and adjacent areas where the city’s influence is dominant.
Migration
Relocation of individuals or groups to a new residence; transfer of customs and ideas.
Mobility
General phenomenon of individuals or families moving from one place to another.
N
Network Utilities
System of pipelines, cables, or communication facilitating urban life.
Node
Geographic concentration of various activities (trade, services, industrial).
O
Overcrowding
Negative phenomenon when more people live in a house than its capacity allows, measured by people per room.
P
Pattern
Unit of measurement, qualification, or standard.
Planning
Activities for carrying out plans based on rationality and selection of means.
Population Density
Relationship between the number of inhabitants and the area of a territory.
Provision of Services
Routing and providing services demanded by a population.
R
Road Structure
Elements allowing vehicle and pedestrian transit and communication between areas.
Rural Area
Area outside city limits, primarily with agricultural activities.
S
Satellite City
Urban core near a dominant core, dependent on it for work, recreation, and services.
Cityscape
Natural and artificial elements defining a city’s physical entity.
T
Traffic Congestion
Increased circulation due to city growth, hindering movement and travel time.
U
Urban Center
City with characteristics forming an urban system in a territory.
Urban Crowding
Excessive agglomeration of people and homes, with lack of expansion space, leading to overcrowding and limited green areas.
Urban Development
Scheduled process of urban environmental management, balancing physical, economic, and social factors.
Urban Limit
Line marking the edge of an urban area or its legally established expansion limit.
Urban Marginality
Neighborhoods with limited educational and employment opportunities due to imbalance between population growth and resources.
Urban Process
Dynamic set of urban activities influencing production, transformation, and socio-cultural change.
Urban Region
Nodal region with a central hub.
Urban Resources
Elements meeting urban needs.