March 15, 2017 Comments Off on Urban vocabulary: Satellite cities Views: 3214 Urban Trekker

As urban trekkers, we come across various urban realms to which sometimes ewe do not have the appropriate words to describe them or classify them. Times indeed have changed and following mass urbanization processes and overpopulation on the planet, the urban vocabulary has grown even beyond our imagination.

For example, how likely is that you’ve heard of satellite cities and towns in case you were not studying about it in urban planning or related branch?

A satellite town or city has emerged as a concept in urban planning that refers essentially to smaller metropolitan areas, located nearby a big city, most likely a capital, but is still self-sufficient and independent. These type of cities are generally separated from the bigger metropolis by rural area, rivers or else and they further distinct by having their own bedroom communities, a traditional historic downtown, “inner city” neighborhoods, and employment bases. Today, with rapid urbanization, satellites are likely as an artery that pumps blood to the center of the bigger city. As urban trekkers, we can come across these type of cities in a plethora of countries we visit.

Satellite cities vs. suburbs

We should not mix satellite cities and towns with suburbs. Satellite town planning differs very much from other urban concepts we might be more familiar with. Suburbs often lack distinct employment basis, their own cultural programs, and distinct commute system; they are rather attached to the larger metropolia and they may not always be a municipality on their own.

Satellite cities vs. edge cities

They are also not edge cities, although these may have common characteristics with satellites such as the employment bases and cultural programs. Beyond that, in a satellite city, one can stumble upon a real historic downtown, which might be even older than the larger metropolitan area that had developed in the meantime. Another notion is the geographical position and the evident rural gap in-between the satellite and the central city.

Conceptually looking, both satellite cities and a portion of edge cities were most likely once self-sufficient communities, but have become interconnected with the big city. Whilst edge cities can still be fairly comparable to satellites, they still distinct as they are closer to the core of the central city.

Throughout the years, many edge cities have started to behave like exurbs or extended neighborhoods of the capitals, virtually being swallowed by them. You can notice that if you look at the subway system of a particular area and notice that edge cities usually remain activity nodes within the central subway area rather than having their miniature subway system.

Satellite towns vs. multi-polar cities

In some cases, large metropolitan areas have multiple centers of close to equal importance. This makes the city counts for multi-polar, otherwise also referred to as twin cities. There are two ways who to differentiate a multi-polar city from a satellite city.

First, satellites are clearly much less important than those larger centers around which they are located, while the various nodes of multi-polar cities are tied in importance. Secondly, satellites can be reached after passing a rural area, whereas twin cities are virtually integrated physically.

Do you happen to live in a satellite city? We would love to hear from you – message us at info@thiscityknows.com

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Tags: multi-polar cities, Nostalgia, satellite towns, suburbs, twin cities