| Term | Definition |
| Filtering | The division of large houses previously owned by one wealthy family into smaller apartments for lower-income families |
| Census tract | An area delineated by the US Bureau of the Census for which statistics are published. In urban ares, they generally correspond to neighborhoods. |
| Peripheral model | A model of urban areas consisting of an inner city surrounded by large suburban residential and business areas tied together by a beltway/ring road. North American cities follow this model. |
| Greenbelt | A ring of land maintained for parks, agriculture, etc. to limit suburban sprawl |
| Central business district (CBD) | The area of a city where retail and offices activities are clustered |
| Metropolitan statistical area | A method of measuring the functional area of a city, including an urbanized area of 50,000+ inhabitants and surrounding areas |
| Micropolitan statistical area | A smaller version of a metropolitan statistical area, featuring an urbanized area of 10,000 to 50,000 inhabitants and surrounding areas |
| Redlining | A process by which banks draw lines on maps and refuse to lend money to purchase or improve property within certain boundaries |
| Underclass | People in a society prevented from participating in the material benefits of a more developed society because of social and economic characteristics |
| Public housing | Housing owned by the government. In the US, it is rented by low-income individuals with a maximum rate of 30% of the family's income |
| Density gradient | The change in density in an urban area from the center to the periphery |
| Food desert | An area in a developed country where healthy food is difficult to obtain |
| Annexation | Legally adding land area to a city in the US |
| Urbanized area | In the US, an urban area with at least 50,000 inhabitants |
| Core based statistical area (CBSA) | In the US, a collective term for all metropolitan statistical areas and micropolitan statistical areas |
| Council of government | An agency consisting of representatives from local governments in an area |
| Sector model | A model of the internal structure of cities in which social groups are arranged in a series of wedge-shaped sectors radiating from a central business district |
| Social area analysis | Statistical analysis used to identify where people of similar lifestyles, living standards, and ethnic backgrounds live within an urban area |
| Smart growth | Legislation and regulations to limit suburban sprawl and protect famland |
| Primary census statistical areas (PCSA) | In the US, a general term for all of the combined statistical areas, metropolitan statistical areas, and micropolitan statistical areas. |
| Edge city | A large node of offices and retail activities on the edge of an urban area. Planned around freeway exits and designed for motor vehicle travel. |
| Combined statistical area (CSA) | In the US, two or more core based statistical areas that are tied together by communicating patterns |
| Multiple nuclei model | A model of the internal structure of cities in which social groups are arranged around a collection of nodes or activities |
| Urban area | A dense core of census tracts, densely-settled suburbs, and low-density land that links the suburbs with the core |
| Concentric zone model | A model of the internal structure of cities in which social groups are arranged in rings |
| Gentrification | The process of converting a neighborhood from a low-income, renter-occupied area to a middle-class, owner-occupied area |
| Urban cluster | In the US, an urban area with between 2,500 and 50,000 inhabitants |
| Squatter settlement | An area within a city in a less-developed country in which people illegally establish residences in land they do not own or rent |
| Zoning ordinances | A law that limits the permitted uses of land and the maximum density of a community. Meant in part to control the location and height of skyscrapers. |
| Megalopolis | A continuous urban complex in the northeastern US, extending from north of Boston to south of D.C. |
