I developed this worksheet to help students apply the 5 Themes of Geography, along with several other Unit 1 concepts to the city of Baltimore. It could be applied to any city.
Uniqueness of Place Activity Worksheet Doc
Uniqueness of Place Activity Worksheet PDF
Today in class we will be applying the urban structure models to Baltimore to answer this question:
In order to understand which model best explains the layout of Baltimore, we need to get a first sense of where each of the components in these models is situated in Baltimore. You will need to identify the following elements first and plot them on your Baltimore map:
For the sake of a more thorough analysis, we could also plot on our B-more maps the major educational and employment centers, as well as a Baltimore zoning map to see if there is any spatial association between these various features.
If you need help plotting the CBD, industrial district, or the high, middle, and low rent residential areas you can refer to this map.
2. We must understand what each of these urban structure models say about the city to know how and whether to apply it to Baltimore. Download the Urban Structure Presentation to review our class discussion. Refer to Chapter 13 Key Issue 2 in your Rubenstein text. You are also free to look them up in google, there are generally good descriptions and interpretations of these models. Wikipedia has a good summary of these models. (you can click on each type of model for a more detailed review).
3. What I am looking for in the essay is for you to demonstrate that you understand A.) the urban structure model you are applying B.) how Baltimore’s urban features can be represented using the various maps and tools we reviewed in class C.) how to apply the urban structure model you have chosen to Baltimore. In other words, what elements of this model do we see present in Baltimore. I do not necessarily have a model in mind that I think works best. Rather, I am looking for specific evidence that you understand these models as you apply one of them to explain the layout of Baltimore.
4. For additional points, apply spatial analysis to establish spatial associations between various phenomena in Baltimore. Use the associated maps provided below to draw correlations between the variables distrubted through these maps.
Baltimore Mean Travel Time to Work
Baltimore City Median Household Income
Baltimore County Median Household Income
Baltimore Cancer, Stroke, Heart Disease Map
Baltimore Demographics Comparative Maps
Baltimore Racial/Ethnic Distribution Dot Map
Urban renewal is the clearing and redevelopment of urban slums. It is rebuilding the area into a newer, glossier version of its former self. The goal is to attract more industry and consumers with a larger amount of disposable income, which could jump-start the local economy and attract even more industry and quality housing. Charles…
Key Question: What are the social problems that inner- cities face? Some of the problems that inner-cities face are social, physical and economics. There are a varation of problem that they struggle with such as unemployment, proverty, and high crime rate. Inner cities face a lack of job skills to obtain good careers. By the…
To see all posts and pages related to Urbanization, click here. Brief History of Urbanization Business Plan Scenario Central Place Theory Presentation Ch 12 Key Issue 4 Ch 13 Key Issue 4 Ch 13 Key Issue 3 Ch 13 Key Issue 2 Ch 13 Key Issue 1 Ch. 12 Review Questions Ch. 13 Review Questions…
In class over the next several days our discussion, reading, and viewing will deal specifically with understanding the history of urbanization and urban renewal in Baltimore. To do so, we will take the issues and problems outlined in Chapter 13, Key Issue 3 and apply them to Baltimore City. We will read the article “Collateral Damage:Unintended Consequences of Urban Renewal in Baltimore, MD“ (click link to view), and view the video “Black Out”, made by a group of Baltimore youth in the group New Lens.
Your assignment is to write a 500 word response to the following questions. You must include specific facts from both the video, Rubenstein, and from the article Collateral Damage.
This is due on Tuesday, 9/21 by midnight. The paper must be typed. It can be emailed to me.
1. What type of physical, social, and economic problems have inner-cities, specifically Baltimore, faced over the past 50 years? 2. Which of these problems are related to, and sometimes even caused by the process of urban renewal? In what way are these consequences unintended? In your answer, cite specific examples from Baltimore.
In class over 2 days we discussed the 5 themes of Geography in two contexts: as a means to present the key concepts included in Ch. 1 Intro to Geography, and as a means to apply geographical tools and concepts to our beloved Baltimore.
Here is the beefy presentation broken down into smaller, yet equally beefy sub-units:
