Geography- Challenges of Urbanisation- India

What is urbanisation?

Urbanisation is the process by which communities move from rural areas to urban areas, resulting in the growth of cities.

What is one major challenge of urbanisation?

Overcrowding is a significant challenge, leading to increased pressure on housing, transport, and services.

How does urbanisation impact housing?

Urbanisation can lead to inadequate housing availability, resulting in slums and informal settlements.

What effect does urbanisation have on transportation?

It can cause traffic congestion and strain on public transport systems due to rising population density.

What environmental challenge is associated with urbanisation?

Urbanisation often leads to environmental degradation, including pollution and loss of green spaces.

How does urbanisation affect social services?

Rapid urban growth can overwhelm healthcare, education, and sanitation services.

What economic challenge can arise from urbanisation?

Increased unemployment rates may occur as cities struggle to provide sufficient job opportunities for migrants.

What is urban sprawl?

Urban sprawl refers to the uncontrolled expansion of urban areas into rural land, often leading to habitat destruction.

How can urbanisation impact crime rates?

Urbanisation can lead to higher crime rates, often influenced by poverty and lack of social cohesion.

What role does infrastructure play in urbanisation challenges?

Inadequate infrastructure can exacerbate issues like traffic congestion, waste management, and public health.

What are the two different development theories?

Rostow’s Theory

Frank’s dependency theory

Summarise Rostow’s Theory

There are 5 stages of this theory:

1. Traditional Society- most people working in agriculture. Called a ‘subsistence economy’.

2. Pre-conditions for Take off- a shift from agriculture to manufacturing. Trade increases profits and it’s invested into industries and infrastructure.

3. Take-Off- growth is rapid. Investment and technology create new manufacturing industries. Take-off requires investment from profits earned from overseas trade.

4. Drive to maturity- a period of growth. Technology is used throughout the economy and industries produce consumer goods.

5. Age of mass consumption- a period of comfort. Consumers enjoy a wide range of goods. The society chooses how to spend its wealth (e.g. Military, education, luxury for the wealthy etc.)

Why was Rostow’s Theory criticised?

The model was only based on European countries (Eurocentric) and overlooked other ways a country could develop.

This theory assumes that all countries start with the same resources and other geographical factors (population, climate etc.)

What is the Frank’s dependency Theory?

This theory was created in opposition to Rostow’s model.

Frank believed that development was about two different global regions- core (developed)and periphery (produce raw materials to sell to the core countries).

In this theory, low-value raw materials from periphery countries are traded to core countries. The core processes these into higher-value products and become wealthy. He believed that historical trade had made these countries poor.

He thought that poorer countries were not similar versions of richer countries like Rostow.

Instead, he thought they were weaker members of a global economy whose rules are decided by the wealthy.

Why was Frank’s Theory criticised?

Can be seen to promote core countries while depicting periphery countries as static and hopeless.

Focuses mainly on economic development, excluding social and political. Too simplistic