Page:Geographic Areas Reference Manual (GARM).pdf/288

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the place’s total population and is contiguous with other qualifying urbanized territory that also meets the population density criterion. As a result of the whole place qualification rule, places with overall densities of less than 1,000 people per square mile may be in the UA.

Jumps

A jump occurs where a low-density area is used to connect an outlying densely populated area to the main body of the UA. Two conditions must be satisfied: (1) the road distance through the low-density area must be 1½ miles or less, and (2) the combined population density of the outlying area and the intervening area must be at least 500 people per square mile. Jumps may occur within places as well as in nonplace territory. A jump is permissible once along a road and in a given direction; for instance, once along Main Street to the east of the core and once along Main Street to the west of the core would both be acceptable jumps. A second jump cannot take place if it relies on a first jump for its geographic connection to the main body of the UA; for instance, a second jump east or west along Main Street.

Nonresidential Urban Land Use

The UA encompasses not only densely settled residential territory, but also various nonpopulated or sparsely populated territory that serves urban functions and that is geographically intermingled throughout the built-up area. If population density were the sole criterion for including territory, the UA boundary could not include other adjacent densely populated territory. This would be undesirable because the low-density territory does not represent a break in settlement; rather, it includes territory with land uses that are typically urban in character. Types of nonresidential urban land uses that qualify are commercial and industrial development, transportation sites, parks, golf courses, cemeteries, and the like. Their identification, in specific situations, provides a more accurate UA delineation. For instance, a population density figure based only on the total surface of a small area would be lower than one that excluded its areas of nonresidential urban land use. As a result of the application of the nonresidential urban land use procedure, the population density of some territory will be greater than 1,000 people per square

12-8Urban and Rural Classifications