Urban geographers' theoretical framework changed throughout time, and now two distinct schools of thought are distinguishable. The focus of the first is on urban areas as geographically discrete phenomena. Researchers in this field often examine the geographical relationships between cities as well as the distribution, size, function, and development rate of urban settlements. The second perspective looks at cities in terms of morphology (spatial arrangement) and land-use intensity. Some authors have begun to examine urbanization-related issues within this paradigm as well. In addition to studying the spatial relationships between cities, urban geographers now examine the economic foundations of urban areas, the patterns in which cities are dispersed across the globe, the distribution of various geographical phenomena within the city, and spatial interactions between cities. What this means is that urban geography is primarily concerned with the study of associations between activities in urban environments, associations between land use, and other aspects, giving it a unique emphasis. The major emphasis is on determining the meaning of connections and patterns between cities and other types of landscapes.
