Urban Futures✅

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How do urban growth rates vary in parts of the world with contrasting levels of development

There is more urbanisation in EDCs and LIDCs than ACs

Why is there less urbanisation happening in ACs

• Urbanisation has already happened due to the industrial revolution

• Most people already live in cities

• There is less disparity between rural and urban areas, so less rural-urban migration

Definition of mega city

Cities with more than 10 million people

Characteristics of mega city

• Rapid growth

• High population density

• Crime

• Poverty

• Social inequality

What leads cities to become megacities

• Natural increase

• Migration

• Economic development

Characteristics of world city

• Cities of global economic importance

• Hubs for internal trade

• Home to HQs of TNCs

• Centres of global communications

Examples of world cities

New York, London, Tokyo, Paris, Singapore

Examples of megacities

Shanghai, Sao Paulo, Mexico City, Tokyo

How has the distribution of world cities changed since 1950

• World cities like London were in the top ten list of most populated cities in 1950

• Nowadays London is not a mega city, but it is a world city

• The number of world cities has increased since 1950

How has the distribution of megacities changed since 1950

• In 1950 there were only two megacities - New York and Tokyo

• Today there are at least 33, a lot of which are in LIDCs and EDCs in Asia and Africa

Causes of rapid urbanisation in LIDCs

• Rural - urban migration

• Internal growth

Push factors of rural-urban migration

• In countryside there is:

○ No electricity

○ Lack of job opportunities

○ Only jobs are hard labour in primary sector

○ Climate may be different in rural areas e.g. Heavy rainfall in Northern Nigeria pushes people to move to Lagos

Pull factors of rural-urban migration

• Good electricity

• More jobs

• More security

• Jobs in the secondary and tertiary sector

• More services like schools (and closer together)

Why does rural-urban migration happen more in LIDCs than ACs

• In LIDCs, living in the countryside is very different to the city

• Whereas in ACs there's not too much of a gap

• In Zambia in rural areas only 3% of people have access to electricity, but 47% do in urban areas

Why does internal growth happen in LIDCs

• Migrants are young (working age) so are having children

• LIDCs have less access to contraception, women are more inclined to have kids than to go to work. This leads to a high birth rate

Consequences of rapid urban growth in LIDCs

• Leads to slums as government can't support quick population increase

• Unemployment -> people work in informal sector

• Overcrowding

• More crime as people outnumber police

What is suburbanisation and how is it caused

• When people move out of the city, into rural or undeveloped land, creating suburbs

• Push factors = overcrowding, pollution, traffic, unemployment

• Pull factors = green spaces, family friendly, new housing estates, rent is cheaper when further from city, safer

Consequences of suburbanisation

• New housing damages countryside and animal habitats

• Increase of cars adds air pollution since everyone is commuting

• City centres can become deserted as offices and businesses are abandoned

• Increased pressure on greenbelt

• Better sense of community in suburbs

What is counter urbanisation and how is it caused

• When people move from urban to rural areas

• Push factors = overcrowding, pollution, traffic

• Pull factors = green spaces, safer, family friendly, new housing estates, rent is cheaper, safer, you can work from home, everyone has cars so can commute

Consequences of counter urbanisation

• Small villages lose their identity (often become 'commuter towns')

• More space in the city

• More pollution from cars

• Helps keep the countryside modern because new services will be opened up

What is re urbanisation and how is it caused

• When people move back into cities

• Push factors = lack of jobs in rural areas or suburbs, less leisure and entertainment, counter-urbanisation may have increased house prices

• Pull factors = people want entertainment facilities, redevelopment of brownfield sites means improved housing, young people attracted to universities

Consequences of re urbanisation

• Shops and services benefit from more residents

• House prices increase in redeveloped areas due to more people

• Increase in tension between new and old residents

• House prices drop in rural areas / suburbs

London's importance locally

• Economic hubs in the City of London and Canary Wharf generate income and economic growth

London's importance nationally

• 30% of the UK's income comes from London

• It is the home of the UK government

• It is the UK's capital and wealthiest city

• Avg salary in London is more than £10,000 more than the avg salary in the UK

London's importance globally

• It is close to the UK's busiest airports, Heathrow and Gatwick

• It is a worldcity

• One of the most important financial centres in the world

• Home to the HQs of many international companies

• Attracts investment and migrants from across the globe

Patterns of migration in London and how does this change the character of the city

• The population of the UK is growing due to international migrants

• More people are coming to than leaving London

• Within the UK, lots of people migrate to London for work or university

• As a result, it is a very ethnically diverse city; less than 50% of London is white British

• Migration strongly influences London's character

○ People of the same ethnicity gravitate towards the same areas, creating distinctive areas of a certain culture like Brick Lane

Culture in London

• London has famous theatres in the West End

• Museums like the National Gallery and the British Museum

• Hosts London Fashion Week

Ethnicity in London

• There are some areas in London with lots of people from one ethnicity e.g. Chinatown, Brick Lane

• Means there is food and music from many different cultures. As well as festivals like Notting Hill Carnival, Chinese New Year parade etc

Housing in London

• In richer communities and suburbs, housing is modern apartments or large homes with gardens

• In poorer communities in the inner city, housing density is higher and buildings are split between families

Leisure in London

• There are lots of leisure facilities like cinemas, pubs etc

• London has some of the best shopping areas and restaurants in the whole of the UK

• Large parks e.g. Hyde Park

• Attractions like the London Eye

Consumption in London

• London consumes nearly 7 million tonnes of food a year, most of which is imported

One initiative to make London more sustainable

• A congestion charge was introduced to discourage people from driving into the city

• £15 daily charge if you drive within the Congestion Charge zone 7:00-18:00 Monday-Friday and 12:00-18:00 Sat-Sun

Benefits of congestion charge

• Congestion charge has reduced traffic by 35%

• Increased public transport usage

• 12% more cycle journeys into the congestion zone

• It reduced levels of nitrous oxides in the air

Drawbacks of congestion charge

• Pollution from diesel black cabs increased since they are exempt

• It burdens drivers with lower incomes that have to drive into the city for their job (e.g. uber drivers)

• Leads to overcrowding on tubes and buses

Challenges of living in London

• Air pollution

• Rise in violent crime

• Inequality

• Transport system

How is air pollution a problem

2 million Londoners live in areas of pollution above international pollution limits

How is inequality a problem

• The gap between rich and poor is very big

• Avg income in Kensington and Chelsea is £130,000 but in Newham it is £35,000

How is transport system a problem

• Roads are frequently congested

• Avg speed traffic in central London is only 8 mph

• London Underground is often overcrowded

How is rise in violent crime a problem

9000 cases of knife crime in 2015 compared to 15,000 in 2023

Overview of Lagos

• Lagos is the largest city in Africa

• It has 15 million people population

• It is not the capital of Nigeria

Lagos' importance locally

• Magnet for migrants (rural-urban migration) due to job opportunities

• There are many bridges to connect it to the mainland

Lagos' importance nationally

• Lagos contains 80% of Nigeria's industry

• Lots of TNCs are located there

Lagos' importance globally

Has ports and an airport, making it a centre for regional and global trade

Patterns of migration in Lagos

• There is lots of rural-urban migration

○ There is a lack of jobs in rural areas

○ Also a lack of safety for example in oil regions like Port Harcourt

○ There is lots of rainfall in Northern Nigeria so people move to the city

○ Income is 4x higher in cities than countryside

Consequences of migration in Lagos

• More squatter settlements

• Lagos used to only be inhabited by the Yoruba people, but in the last few decades new population growth has crowded out the culture of original Yoruba inhabitants

• More traffic

• More crime

• Unemployment due to lots of people

Culture in Lagos

• Lagos has a big 'Nollywood' film industry

• There is a thriving music scene with styles like Afrobeat and hip hop

Ethnicity in Lagos

• There are 250 ethnic groups in Lagos

• There can be ethnic tension particularly between different religions e.g. Christians and Muslims

Housing in Lagos

• 60% of the city live in squatter settlements

• There are some high-rise flats and skyscrapers in the central business district

• The very rich live in gated communities on Banana Island

Leisure in Lagos

• Lagos hosts the Lagos International Jazz Festival every year

• Street parties and nightclubbing are popular activities

Consumption in Lagos

Consumption of energy is rapidly increasing in Nigeria and Lagos is responsible for more than half of this increase

One initiative to make Lagos more sustainable

• Eko Atlantic is a development being built to help fight against unemployment and overcrowding / lack of houses

• It aims to provide homes for 250k residents and to support 150k daily commuters

Benefits of Eko Atlantic

• Will provide homes for 250k people and employ 150k people

• More employment -> more spending -> more money in economy

• It will be self reliant with own power, water, sewage system

• There will be a hospital and an international private school

• Citywide canal network to connect with Lagos ferry transport system

Drawbacks of Eko Atlantic

• There are 1.7 million people living in squatter settlements so Eko Atlantic isn't big enough to support all of these people

• It is separate from Lagos' main city so it doesn't help with much issues

• Only caters to the ultra-rich, it won't reduce the amount of squatter settlements

• Hasn't finished being built yet

Challenges of living in Lagos

• Squatter settlements

• Unemployment

• Waste disposal

How are squatter settlements a problem

• 1.7 million Lagosians live in squatter settlements

• The houses are illegally built, meaning that people face eviction or their houses can easily be demolished to clean up the city

• There is only one primary school in the Makoko settlement, meaning most children don't get educated

• Disease spreads easily due to a lack of clean water e.g. Cholera

• Stagnant water increases malaria, and people are not immunised

How is waste disposal a problem

• Lagos produces 9000 tonnes of waste a day

• Only 40% of this actually collected

• Large rubbish dumps contain toxic waste

• Waste disposal is not controlled, increasing air and water pollution

• Lots of waste is dumped into the sea

How is unemployment a problem

• 60% of people work in the informal sector

• These people work long hours for very little pay - less than £2 a day

• Street sellers' stalls can be bulldozed to make way for new developments, leaving vendors without a source of income

Environmental problems of living in Lagos

Commuters spend up to 3 hrs a day in traffic