The city center refers to the central business district (CBD) or downtown area of a city where commercial, administrative, cultural, and recreational activities are concentrated.
Related terms
Urban sprawl: Unplanned expansion of urban areas into surrounding rural areas due to population growth and low-density development patterns.
Central Place Theory: A theory by Walter Christaller that explains how towns and cities are spatially organized based on their function and service range.
Urban hierarchy: A ranking system that classifies settlements based on their size and functions within an urban system.