SOC STUD 108
(Geography 3)
Chapter 2
Nature and Scope of Urban Geography
Learning Outcomes:
a. Discussed the thrusts of study in Urban Geography.
b. Analyzed the various attributes of an Urban Settlement
Introduction
Urban geography examines the physical and human aspects of cities, such as urban land
use, transportation, infrastructure, and the distribution of population and economic activities. It
also explores urban morphology, the evolution of cities, and the impact of urbanization on the
environment. The scope of urban geography encompasses a wide range of topics, including
urban planning, urban development, urban social issues, urban economics, and urban
sustainability. It also involves the study of urban systems, urban governance, and the spatial
distribution of urban amenities and services.
What is Urban Geography?
The study of the site, evolution, morphology, spatial pattern, and classification of towns.
Study of the areas where the majority of economic activities are in the secondary sector
and tertiary sectors.
It can be considered a sub-discipline of the larger field of human geography with over-
laps of content with that of Cultural Geography.
Urban geography is the study of urban places with reference to their geographical envi-
ronment.
Urban geography is the sub-discipline of geography which concentrates on those parts of
the Earth's surface that have a high concentration of buildings and infrastructure.
It is that branch of science, which deals with the study of urban areas, in terms of con -
centration, infrastructure, economy, and environmental impacts.
• Griffith Taylor - Urban Geography includes
the site revolution pattern and classification
of towns.
• Dudley Stamp - Urban Geography is infect-
ing the intensive study of towns and their de-
velopment in all their geographical aspects.
Meaning of an Urban Place
UN Demographic Year Book concludes: "There is no point in the continuum from large agglom-
erations to small clusters or scattered dwellings where urbanity disappears and rurality begins the
division between urban and rural populations is necessarily arbitrary.”
• A review of the problems of rural and urban centres as revealed by the Census Reports of
various countries identifies a few bases for reckoning a place as urban.
• Difference between rural and urban depends upon their nature of work - the former being
engaged in agricultural operations and the latter in non-agricultural activities.
• UNO defines a permanent settlement with a minimum population of 20,000 as an urban
place.
• Several countries have their own minimum such as Botswana (5,000), Ethiopia (2,000),
Argentina (2,000), Israel (2,000), Czechoslovakia (5,000), Iceland (200), Norway (200),
Portugal (10,000), Japan (50,000), Australia (1,000), India (5,000), etc.
Criteria of an Urban Place
(1) A place designated by administrative status;
(2) A minimum population;
(3) A minimum population density;
(4) A concept of contiguity to include or exclude under
suburban area or loosely scattered settlement;
(5) A proportion engaged in non-agricultural occupations; and
(6) A functional character.
Attributes of a Town
Qualities of a City or Town
(a) Town is a kind of settlement having a social organization of much greater scope than
a simple rural establishment.
(b) It does not represent a mere greater number of people agglomerated in a vast area. But
it represents a stage of civilization quite different from a locality expressing rural way of
life.
(c) Cities and towns have their historical origin. Blache has pointed out that cities charac-
teristically possess mythical halo surrounding their genesis (ritual, eponymous hero, etc.).
(d) Towns and cities are creatures of commerce, and politics accompanying the earliest
developments such as: Babylon, Athens, London, Paris, Delhi, etc.
Emrys Jones has also expressed various attributes of
towns and cities
...a town is a physical agglomeration of streets and
houses, a centre of commerce and administration, a kind
of society, even a cultural frame of mind of urbanite or a
way of life. Attributes forming the scope and contents of
urban geography have been summarized in Table 2.1
Scope of Urban Studies and Definitions
Urban geography studies urban centre in the context of geographical factors. The factors
operate spatially to explain processes - economic, socio-cultural and also political. But the sub -
ject of urban geography has its limited scope in the sense that it deals with these processes in re -
lation to only one phenomenon, i.e., town or city.
Another point which has been emphasized by D. Stamp to cover the scope of urban geog-
raphy is the study of the actual town itself, i.e., town as an entity. He further has added that influ-
ence of the town on its surrounding area too forms a significant aspect of the study. This means
that 'townscape and also hinterland including 'umland' are vital issues for studying urban geogra -
phy.
One of the pioneer scholars in urban studies, R.L. Singh has stressed on three broad cate-
gories under the scope, viz.
(a) The physical structure of the city,
(b) The stage of its historical development, and
(c) The process influencing the structure.
Dickinson defines urban geography as the study of a city commanding the surrounding re-
gion. He describes the city as a king among the surrounding towns. His trait for cities of all ages
has been institutional supremacy for their surrounding territory.
Their existence depends upon the resources of the surrounding areas, and also, by virtue of
their interaction through their physical, social and economic infrastructure. Their interdepen-
dence with their surrounding regions is the spatial reality.
Raymond E. Murphy points out the dual role of urban geographer, i.e.,
(i) To analyze cities as entities in terms of locations, characters, growth, and relations to the sur -
rounding countryside, as well as,
(ii) To discuss patterns of the city's interior land use, social and cultural patterns, patterns of cir -
culation, and above all, natural patterns of environment - all as they exist in interrelation and in-
teraction in the urban area.
Harold Carter highlights the significance of urban geography, which focuses on the charac-
teristics of towns and their populations. With a growing urban population, the study of urban en-
vironments is vital.
Urban geography gained recognition in universities post-World War II, evolving from a lim-
ited scope within human geography. Influential works by Doxiadis and Brian J.L. Berry have
expanded the field, emphasizing urban systems and their economic connections.
The ICSSR Report of the Fourth Survey of Research in Geography (1976-82) in India high-
lights various themes related to urban phenomena, showcasing the scope of the subject. Key top -
ics include urbanization trends, rural-urban migration, urban systems and hierarchies, morphol-
ogy, economic bases, land use, housing classifications, slums, rural-urban fringes, city-surround-
ing interactions, urban environment issues like pollution and poverty, crime, quality of life, ur-
ban services, politics, tourism, and planning challenges in urban metropolises.
N. Baransky, the founder of Soviet economic geography, emphasizes the broad scope of
city studies, which now involve historians, geographers, statisticians, economists, sociologists,
planners, architects, and financial specialists.
He suggests that urban studies can vary in territorial focus, allowing for analysis at global,
national, or regional levels, as well as comparative studies of cities within specific categories.
Baransky emphasizes that a geographical study of a city can serve as the basis for a mono -
graph, viewing the city and its road network as the framework that defines its territory. He con-
siders cities as examples of applied urban micro-geography.
Following the industrial revolution, urbanization has led to various challenges due to rising
populations. Analyzing these human activities and associated issues is crucial, which is facili -
tated by urban geography.
Urban Geography is also called as Urban Settlement. This name is showing its scope geog-
raphers had tried to give the scope of Urban Geography. Here se discuss the two geographers-
By W.K. Davis & R.E. Dickinson.
1. W.K. Davis - He tried to give scope of Urban Geography in the book "Approaches to Ur-
ban Geography are overview" in 1970.
Element Prospective Adjacent
1. Environment Static Process Urbanization process with
ref. to other town as a indi-
2. Population
vidual unit. Regional effect
3. Working Activities Dynamic Process of urban areas, town in form
of an area.
4. Urban structure
After World War II, urban geographers transitioned from a focus on social inequalities
to consulting for planning organizations. Johnston (1977) identifies three branches of urban
geography: a quantitative approach documenting spatial organization, a behavioral approach
examining individual activities, and a radical approach addressing societal inequalities.
This shift shows that urban geography has become less unified and more complex to de -
fine, though key themes still emerge (Northam, 1975).
R. M. Northam (1975) outlines key inquiries in urban geography, represented in a dia-
gram: A examines the relationship between a place and its people; B explores associations
between different places; C studies interactions among people from different locations; and
D focuses on relationships within a single place.
Emrys Jones (1966) describes cities as geographical reservoirs of roads and dwellings,
centers of commerce and administration, distinct societies, and reflections of urban lifestyles.
These attributes help define the scope of urban geography as a sub-discipline.
In India, Prof. R.L. Singh (1955) is a prominent urban geography scholar who empha-
sizes three key concepts: the physical structure of cities, the historical development stages of
cities, and the processes impacting city structure.
The ICSSR's fourth survey of geographical research (1976-1982) highlights the focus of
urban geographers in India on various topics, including urbanization trends, hierarchical or-
ders, inner city structures, land use, functional classifications, slums, rural-urban interactions,
environmental issues (pollution, poverty, crime, quality of life), urban infrastructure, gover-
nance, tourism, and planning challenges in metropolitan areas.
An urban area surrounds a city and is characterized by a high density of human struc -
tures, such as houses, commercial buildings, roads, bridges, and railways, with most resi-
dents engaged in non-agricultural jobs.
Urban areas include towns, cities, and suburbs, often referred to as metropolitan areas
(e.g., Greater New York, Greater London). When multiple metropolitan areas grow together,
they may form a megalopolis, such as the Bos Wash corridor, which extends from Boston,
Massachusetts, to Washington, D.C.
References
Geography: Understanding the World Quiz. https://quizgecko.com/quiz/geography-
understanding-the-world-quiz-gdadb7
Urban geography. https://forsaljningavaktierxzsynpk.netlify.app/99351/32933
Urban geography in a sentence. https://jobbkzwa.firebaseapp.com/78545/56800.html
Nature and Scope of Urban Geography: An Overview | Rashid's Blog: Portal for Inquisitive
Learners. https://rashidfaridi.com/2019/08/22/nature-and-scope-of-urban-geography/
DEFINITION, NATURE AND SCOPE OF URBAN GEOGRAPHY – Urban Geography.
https://ebooks.inflibnet.ac.in/geop09/chapter/chapter-1/
Why does urban geography is closely related to human geography? – Mass Initiative.
https://massinitiative.org/why-does-urban-geography-is-closely-related-to-human-geography/
