Urban sprawlUrban sprawl (also known as suburban sprawl or urban encroachment) is defined as "the spreading of urban developments (such as houses and shopping centers) on undeveloped land near a city". Urban sprawl has been described as the unrestricted growth in many urban areas of housing, commercial development, and roads over large expanses of land, with little concern for urban planning. In addition to describing a special form of urbanization, the term also relates to the social and environmental consequences associated with this development.
Urban designUrban design is an approach to the design of buildings and the spaces between them that focuses on specific design processes and outcomes. In addition to designing and shaping the physical features of towns, cities, and regional spaces, urban design considers 'bigger picture' issues of economic, social and environmental value and social design. The scope of a project can range from a local street or public space to an entire city and surrounding areas.
Urban decayUrban decay (also known as urban rot, urban death or urban blight) is the sociological process by which a previously functioning city, or part of a city, falls into disrepair and decrepitude. There is no single process that leads to urban decay. Urban decay can include the following aspects: Industrialization Deindustrialization Gentrification Population decline or overpopulation Counterurbanization Economic Restructuring Multiculturalism Abandoned buildings or infrastructure High local unemployment Increased poverty Fragmented families Low overall living standards or quality of life Political disenfranchisement Crime (e.
UrbanizationUrbanization (or urbanisation) is the population shift from rural to urban areas, the corresponding decrease in the proportion of people living in rural areas, and the ways in which societies adapt to this change. It can also mean population growth in urban areas instead of rural ones. It is predominantly the process by which towns and cities are formed and become larger as more people begin living and working in central areas. Urbanization is often responsible for the myriad of modern problems facing humanity.
Urban planningUrban planning, also known as town planning, city planning, regional planning, or rural planning, is a technical and political process that is focused on the development and design of land use and the built environment, including air, water, and the infrastructure passing into and out of urban areas, such as transportation, communications, and distribution networks and their accessibility.
Urban historyUrban history is a field of history that examines the historical nature of cities and towns, and the process of urbanization. The approach is often multidisciplinary, crossing boundaries into fields like social history, architectural history, urban sociology, urban geography, business history, and archaeology. Urbanization and industrialization were popular themes for 20th-century historians, often tied to an implicit model of modernization, or the transformation of rural traditional societies.
Urban green spaceIn land-use planning, urban green space is open-space areas reserved for parks and other "green spaces", including plant life, water features - also referred to as blue spaces - and other kinds of natural environment. Most urban open spaces are green spaces, but occasionally include other kinds of open areas. The landscape of urban open spaces can range from playing fields to highly maintained environments to relatively natural landscapes.
Sustainable urbanismSustainable urbanism is both the study of cities and the practices to build them (urbanism), that focuses on promoting their long term viability by reducing consumption, waste and harmful impacts on people and place while enhancing the overall well-being of both people and place. Well-being includes the physical, ecological, economic, social, health and equity factors, among others, that comprise cities and their populations.
Urban sociologyUrban sociology is the sociological study of cities and urban life. One of the field’s oldest sub-disciplines, urban sociology studies and examines the social, historical, political, cultural, economic, and environmental forces that have shaped urban environments. Like most areas of sociology, urban sociologists use statistical analysis, observation, archival research, U.S.
Geographic information systemA geographic information system (GIS) consists of integrated computer hardware and software that store, manage, analyze, edit, output, and visualize geographic data. Much of this often happens within a spatial database, however, this is not essential to meet the definition of a GIS. In a broader sense, one may consider such a system also to include human users and support staff, procedures and workflows, the body of knowledge of relevant concepts and methods, and institutional organizations.
GeographyGeography (from Greek: γεωγραφία, geographia. Combination of Greek words 'Geo' (The Earth) and 'Graphien' (to describe), literally "earth description") is a field of science devoted to the study of the lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena of Earth. Geography is an all-encompassing discipline that seeks an understanding of Earth and its human and natural complexities—not merely where objects are, but also how they have changed and come to be.
Geographical featureA feature (also called an object or entity), in the context of geography and geographic information science, is a discrete phenomenon that exists at a location in the space and scale of relevance to geography; that is, at or near the surface of Earth, at a moderate to global scale. It is one of the primary types of phenomena represented in geographic information, such as that represented in maps, geographic information systems, remote sensing imagery, statistics, and other forms of geographic discourse.
LausanneLausanne (loʊˈzæn , USalsoloʊˈzɑːn , lɔzan; Losena lɔˈzəna) is the capital and largest city of the Swiss French-speaking canton of Vaud. It is a hilly city situated on the shores of Lake Geneva, about halfway between the Jura Mountains and the Alps, and facing the French town of Évian-les-Bains across the lake. Lausanne is located northeast of Geneva, the nearest major city. The municipality of Lausanne has a population of about 140,000, making it the fourth largest city in Switzerland after Basel, Geneva, and Zurich, with the entire agglomeration area having about 420,000 inhabitants (as of January 2019).
Lausanne DistrictLausanne District (District de Lausanne) is a district in the canton of Vaud, Switzerland. The seat of the district is the city of Lausanne. Lausanne has an area, , of . Of this area, or 27.3% is used for agricultural purposes, while or 30.9% is forested. Of the rest of the land, or 41.6% is settled (buildings or roads) and or 0.1% is unproductive land. Lausanne has a population () of . Most of the population () speaks French (159,559 or 79.6%), with German being second most common (8,534 or 4.
Romanel-sur-LausanneRomanel-sur-Lausanne (ʁɔmanɛl syʁ lɔzan, literally Romanel on Lausanne; Romanél) is a municipality in the canton of Vaud in Switzerland, located in the district of Lausanne. Romanel-sur-Lausanne is first mentioned in 1184 as Romanes. Romanel-sur-Lausanne has an area, , of (depending on calculation method). Of this area, or 59.7% is used for agricultural purposes, while or 3.8% is forested. Of the rest of the land, or 37.8% is settled (buildings or roads). Of the built up area, industrial buildings made up 5.
Cheseaux-sur-LausanneCheseaux-sur-Lausanne (ʃəzo syʁ lɔzan, literally Cheseaux on Lausanne; Chesâls) is a municipality in the district of Lausanne in the canton of Vaud in Switzerland. It is a suburb of the city of Lausanne. Cheseaux-sur-Lausanne is first mentioned in 1228 as Chesaus. Cheseaux-sur-Lausanne has an area, , of . Of this area, or 60.3% is used for agricultural purposes, while or 14.6% is forested. Of the rest of the land, or 24.0% is settled (buildings or roads), or 0.7% is either rivers or lakes.
Belmont-sur-LausanneBelmont-sur-Lausanne (bɛlmɔ̃ syʁ lɔzan, literally Belmont on Lausanne) is a municipality in the district of Lavaux-Oron in the canton of Vaud in Switzerland. It is a suburb of the city of Lausanne. Belmont-sur-Lausanne is first mentioned in 1228 as Belmunt sowie apud bellum Montem. Belmont-sur-Lausanne has an area, , of . Of this area, or 35.1% is used for agricultural purposes, while or 29.8% is forested. Of the rest of the land, or 33.2% is settled (buildings or roads). Of the built up area, housing and buildings made up 23.
