UNIT I The Nature Perspectives of Geography

UNIT I: The Nature & Perspectives of Geography {

human & physical features spatial perspective looking at patterns & distributions invented by Greeks: Eratosthenes “geo”: Earth “graphy”: writing Definition of Geography

Human Geo: study of the spatial organization of human activities how we organize space & place where & why human activities are located

absolute location: latitude & longitude; street address relative location: expressing a location in relation to another site Location

Site: the physical character of a place Situation: the location of a place relative to other places Fig. 1 -7: Singapore is situated at a key location for international trade.

Place place: location with physical & cultural attributes “sense of place”: infusing a place with meaning & emotion

The Cultural Landscape natural landscape modified by human activities the “Built Environment” Religion and cremation practices diffuse with Hindu migrants from India to Kenya.

Spatial analysis: the study of geographic phenomena the SPATIAL: 1. Distance 2. Accessibility 3. Connectivity

interaction diminishes as distance increases “friction of distance” closer = more interaction 1. Distance Decay

Distance Decay Curve (“j-curve”)

place utility: a place’s usefulness to a particular person or group

How easy/difficult to overcome the friction of distance? 2. Accessibility

3. Connectivity level of interaction communication & transportation Ex: Telephone Lines, streets, pipelines, radio, TV, internet

1. Complementarity: supply & demand between places 2. Transferability: ability to acquire item 3. Intervening Opportunity: closer location develops = more interaction Ullman’s Spatial Model of Interaction

Diffusion: - spread of an idea or innovation from its hearth Barriers to diffusion? - physical - distance decay - cultural barriers

1. Expansion Diffusion: spreads outward from the hearth a. contagious: spreads adjacently b. hierarchical: spreads from big city to smaller places

2. Relocation Diffusion: permanent movement of individuals who carry an idea Paris, France Kenya

elements common to all spatial distributions : Density, Dispersion, & Pattern Spatial Distribution

quantity within a defined unit of area Density

How spread out? 1. 2. Clustered (Agglomerated) = spatially close Dispersed (Scattered) = spread out Dispersion

The geometric arrangement in space Types of Patterns: Linear, Clustered, & Random Pattern

Linear Pattern • typically depict houses along a street or towns along a railroad

Clustered Pattern • typically involve items concentrated around a single node • Ex: Center City with surrounding suburbs

Random Pattern • An unstructured irregular distribution

Levels of Scale - local - regional - national - global

Scale

1. Formal (Uniform) region: defined by a uniform characteristic Exs: a country’s border a language region Types of Regions

2. Functional (Nodal) region: defined by interactions Ex: magazine circulation, radio station’s range, a downtown CBD

3. Perceptual (Vernacular) Region: ideas or emotions of an area the South the Middle East Little Italy

1. Globe Grid: based upon latitudelongitude 2. Map Projections: making a flat map of a round surface * All maps have distortion!

World Geographic Grid The world geographic grid consists of meridians of longitude and parallels of latitude. The prime meridian (0º) passes through Greenwich, England

Cylindrical Projection Planar Projection (Azimuthal) Conic Projection

The Robinson Projection

Geographic Information System (GIS): computer programs that collect layers of spatial data Remote Sensing: collecting data through satellites

Neighborhood in Edmonton City of Edmonton Small scale: more area, less detail Large scale: less area, more detail Which is the small -scale map?

Two Types of Maps: Reference Maps - Show locations General purpose Ex: street maps Thematic Maps - “Tells a story” Uses Data Pattern, distribution

Reference Map

Thematic Maps TYPES: Graduated Circle Dot-Distribution Isopleth/Isometric (isolines: weather, topographic maps) Choropleth (by region: county, state)

Graduated Circle Map • different sizes to show frequency

Dot Map

Isopleth/Isometric Map • The isoline connects values

Examples of topographic maps (shows elevation through contour lines)

Choropleth Map

Thematic Map What story about median income in the Washington, DC area is this map telling?

mental maps: representations of our own image of the world Mental maps (“cognitive” maps)

Activity Space: the places we travel to in our daily activities – How are activity spaces and mental maps related?

The Gravity Model: How size & distance affect interaction Measuring Spatial Interaction