Glossary
City Size and Distribution
This concept describes how urban areas are arranged and vary in population within a given region or country, influencing infrastructure, economic development, and population trends.
Example:
Understanding the City Size and Distribution in a country helps urban planners decide where to build new highways or expand public transportation networks.
Primate City
The largest city in a country or region that is significantly larger and more influential than any other city, often serving as the economic, cultural, and political center.
Example:
Despite being the capital, Paris is also France's Primate City, dominating the country's economy, culture, and political landscape far more than any other French city.
Rank-Size Rule
A pattern observed in some countries where the population of a city is inversely proportional to its rank in the urban hierarchy, meaning the nth largest city is 1/n the size of the largest city.
Example:
If New York City were the largest city in a country following the Rank-Size Rule with 10 million people, the second largest city would be around 5 million, and the third largest about 3.3 million.
Regional Primate City
A dominant city within a specific geographic region that exerts disproportionate influence over that region, even if it is not the national capital or the largest city in the entire country.
Example:
While not the largest city in the U.S., Chicago functions as a Regional Primate City for the Midwest, serving as a major hub for finance, transportation, and culture in that specific area.