Module Overview: Residential
Land Use
General Module Objectives: After completing this module students
will be able to:
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Define and discuss theories of urban land use
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Interpret urban land use in terms of key geographic concepts
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Generate, analyze, and interpret maps of metropolitan areas
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Interpret basic data and summary statistics
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Utilize on-line reference and research materials
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Understand and discuss interrelationships between socio-economic variables
Key geographical concepts addressed by the module:
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Bid rent
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Land rent gradient
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Highest and best use
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Accessibility
Materials Required:
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PCs linked to the Internet to access web sites; Microsoft Word.
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Spreadsheet software or pocket calculator (optional).
Activities:
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Students will access an on-line database and mapping system to examine
the structure of urban residential land use.
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Students will down-load maps for inclusion in a 300-500 word written description
of residential land use in an urban area and relate these descriptions
to standard models of urban land. The written portion of the exercise
will be submitted via email.
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(optional) Students will access raw data and calculate the index of dissimilarity
among census tracts in the study area.
Time Requirements:
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3 to 6 hours depending on the size of the urban area, number of census
tracts, and requirements of the instructor.
Difficulty:
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This module is designed for undergraduate students in a first or second
college-level course in urban/economic geography.