Building sustainable cities

What is a city?

An urban area in a country

Are the sizes of cities different?

Yes, it can vary.

What are the certain characteristics of a city?

Population size is high

Population density is high

Urban built-up area

Provides a variety of functions and services

(PP UP)

What are the characteristics of a population size in a city?

Cities have LARGER population sizes than rural areas within a country

Population sizes vary across the world

What are the two ways cities grow?

Rural-urban migration

Urban to urban migration

What is a population density?

Refers to the number of people per unit area of land (no. of people/land area)

Compared to rural areas, is the population density of cities higher?

Yes it is often higher

What is the type of area of a city?

A built-up area

What is a built-up area?

Areas covered by buildings and infrastructure

What is typically absent in urban built-up areas?

Natural vegetation has been removed/altered in these areas

What is a typical city’s infrastructure?

TEST

T - Transport (roads, railways)

E - Electrical services (power grid)

S - Sanitation (water pipes and sewage canals)

T - telecommunications (telecommunication towers)

What are the varied functions of a city?

ACHIE(V)E

A - Administrative (parliament/town council)

C - Commercial (shopping areas/town centers)

H - healthcare (hospitals and ambulance services)

I - Industrial (factories)

E - entertainment (amusement parks)

(V)

E - Educational (higher education)

Difference between urban and rural areas

Rural:

Population size:

Smaller population size (usually)

Population density:

Lower population density (usually)

Main economic activity:

primary industries (mining farming)

Services:

Simple services (provision shops, clinics)

Environment:

Natural environment retained

less pollution (usually)

Infrastructure:

Simple infrastructure (limited public transport, water tanks)

Urban:

Population size:

Larger population size (usually)

Population density:

Higher population density (usually)

Main economic activity:

Secondary industries (manufacturing)

Tertiary industries (services)

Services:

Complex services (hypermarkets and large hospitals)

Environment:

Built-up areas

More pollution

Infrastructure:

Extensive infrastructure (well-connected public transport networks, comprehensive sewage system)

Are urban areas and rural areas standalone places? Why?

No, they are interconnected due to the movement of people, goods and services between the two areas

What are the two factors that entices people to migrate?

Pull factors (attract people to migrate to another settlement)

Push factors (push people out from their original settlement)

What are the typical three ypes of migration?

Rural-urban, urban-urban and urban-rural

What is rural-urban migration?

Internal movement of people from rural areas to urban parts of a country (villages - towns and cities)

People who move are known as?

Migrants

What are some push and pull factors for economy?

Push:

Low pay

Few jobs

Lack of services (poor educational opportunities and lack of medical care)

Pull:

Better pay

Better job opportunities

Better range of services (institutions of higher education and large hospitals

What are some push and pull factors for socio-political?

Push:

Unstable government (war/threat of war)

Ethnic/religious/cultural prosecution

poor quality of life

social isolation

Pull:

Peace and stability

tolerant society

better quality of life

to live near friends and family

What are some push and pull factors of environmental?

Push:

Dangerous or unattractive environments (places affected by natural disasters, places with an undesirable climate)

Pull:

Safe and attractive environments

What is urban-urban migration

Movement of people from one city to another (small city - large city e.g.)

Why is there urban-urban migration?

Same reasons for rural-urban

What is Urban-rural migration?

Movement of people from urban areas to rural regions

Why do people move from urban areas to rural areas?

URBAN DWELLERS with remote working arrangements may find it attractive to move to rural areas

• To move away from the fast paced of life

• High cost of living

• Pollution in cities

Whilst retaining the better pay of city jobs

What are the goods and services relationship between rural and urban areas?? Why?

Cities depend on rural areas for food (lack of agricultural land)

Rural farmers rear animals and grow crops for food (for themselves) and commercial use (sale to urban areas)

Thus rural farmers and urban dwellers benefit - farmers get income, urban dwellers get food.

When farmers come to a city to sell food they can gain from the facilities around them (medical treatment, entertainment, purchasing other goods and services found only in cities)

How do cities impact people and the surroundings?

They provide a variety of functions and services

What are the opportunities for people?

Education, employment and technological innovation

Explain education

1. Institutes of higher learning in cities (vocational schools, polytechnics, universities) allow people to gain specialised skills and knowledge

2. Educational needs are met by such institutions

3. Cities grow due to the concentration of (these) activities and educated and/or skilled employees

4. Work and study programmes are common in cities around the world (for employees to work and train concurrently)

Explain employment

1. Businesses tend to flourish in cities due to the extensive infrastructure, range of services and high percentage of well-educated workers they can tap on in cities

2. Thriving businesses lead to a large number of jobs and employees are paid a salary

3. They can use their salary to buy food and daily necessities and/or improve the well-being of the employee and his family

Explain technological innovation

Its more likely to happen in cities due to

1. The concentration of knowledgeable and skilled people with interesting ideas working together creating an ecosystem for creativity and innovation

2. The large pool of designers, entrepreneurs and researchers creates an ideal environment for innovative ideas to thrive

3. Investors and the government also provide money for researchers, entrepreneurs and designers to try out their new ideas.