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Urban Environments

What IS Urbanisation?

Urbanisation means an increase in the proportion of people living in urban areas compared to rural areas. An urban area is a built-up area such as a town or city. A rural area is an area of countryside.

As a country industrialises, the number of people living in urban areas tends to increase. The UK and many other MEDCs urbanised during the 18th and 19th centuries. People migrated from rural areas (due to the mechanisation in farming) to urban areas where there was employment in the new factories. The area of cities known as the inner city developed during this time as rows of terraced housing were built for workers.

Today the UK is a mostly urban society, with 90 per cent of the population living in towns or cities.

On a global scale, urbanisation is taking place rapidly, particularly in LEDCs

Although the UK is an urban society, more and more people are choosing to live on the edge of urban areas - with many relocating to the countryside. This is called counter-urbanisation.

Globally more than 50% of the world's population live in urban areas.

Megacities: Cities are large urban settlements. The number of cities with over 10 million people is increasing. These are called megacities In 1950, there were only two megacities - New York and Tokyo. Today, there are 23. By 2025, there will be more than 30.

world city is a globally important city, like London or Tokyo, which has an economic or cultural status that is recognised above other cities.

 

The table shows the top 10 megacities. Source: Demographia World Urban areas 2015.

RankUrban areaCountryPopulation estimate

1

Tokyo-Yokohama

Japan

37,843,000

2

Jakarta

Indonesia

30,539,000

3

Delhi

India

24,998,000

4

Manila

Philippines

24,123,000

5

Seoul-Incheon

South Korea

23,480,000

6

Shanghai

China

23,416,000

7

Karachi

Pakistan

22,123,000

8

Beijing

China

21,009,000

9

New York

United States

20,630,000

10

Guangzhou-Foshan

China

20,597,000

Causes of urban growth

The population of cities changes in one of two ways:

  1. Natural Increase (or decrease) - the difference between the number of births and the number of deaths

  2. Rural to Urban Migration - the movement of people into or out of the city

More and more people are leaving rural areas and moving to cities. This is called rural to urban migration. People move because of push and pull factors. Push factors are things that make people want to leave rural areas and pull factors are the things that attract people to the city. (See your previous work to recap these)

Push factors

These include:

  • unemployment

  • lower wages

  • crop failure

  • poor living conditions

  • poor health and education services

  • few facilities

  • natural disasters

  • civil war

Pull factors

These include:

  • more jobs

  • higher wages

  • better living conditions

  • better education and health services

  • better facilities

  • less chance of natural disasters

Many LEDCs have cities growing rapidly as a result of rural to urban migration and natural population increase. 

Problems associated with rapid urbanisation 

The promise of jobs and prosperity, among other factors, pulls people to cities. Half of the global population already lives in cities, and by 2050 two-thirds of the world's people are expected to live in urban areas. But in cities two of the most pressing problems facing the world today also come together: poverty and environmental degradation.

Poor air and water quality, insufficient water availability, waste-disposal problems, and high energy consumption are exacerbated by the increasing population density and demands of urban environments. Strong city planning will be essential in managing these and other difficulties as the world's urban areas swell. 

What are some of the potential problems?

  • Intensive urban growth can lead to greater poverty, with local governments unable to provide services for all people.

  • Concentrated energy use leads to greater air pollution with significant impact on human health.

  • Automobile exhaust produces elevated lead levels in urban air.

  • Large volumes of uncollected waste create multiple health hazards.

  • Urban development can magnify the risk of environmental hazards such as flash flooding.

  • Pollution and physical barriers to root growth promote loss of urban tree cover.

  • Animal populations are inhibited by toxic substances, vehicles, and the loss of habitat and food sources.

Many LEDCs have cities growing rapidly as a result of inward migration and natural population increase.

Cities like Accra in Ghana are experiencing rapid urbanisation. This process impacts on all aspects of the settlement:

  • Social - there are too many people for existing housing, schools and hospitals. Tensions may develop between new arrivals and longer established residents. Crime levels are also rising.

  • Economic - there are not enough jobs for all the people. City authorities cannot afford to plan and pay for all the facilities and infrastructure that the growing population needs. Many people work but do not contribute taxes to the government so spending cannot match needs.

  • Environmental - the green space in the city decreases as squatter settlements are built, and this reduces the amount of inner city garden food growing areas. The city grows outwards as much new growth is on the edge of the built-up area. Pollution levels rise with more people in the city.

 

Infographic: More people are living in insecure, rented housing. © ODI 2018.Infographic: Cities will need 331 million new low-cost homes by 2025. © ODI 2018.Infographic: The number of people without basic water and sanitation is increasing. © ODI 2018.Infographic: Growing cities lead to more congestion and traffic fatalities. © ODI 2018.Infographic: In many cities, energy demand will rise faster than population growth. © ODI 2018.Infographic: Poor air quality in cities poses serious health risks. © ODI 2018.Infographic: Cities need to create better jobs. © ODI 2018.

 

Infographic: The challenges of urbanisation are political, not just technical. © ODI 2018.

EXTENTION: Take a look at: 

https://odi.org/en/publications/10-things-to-know-about-the-impacts-of-urbanisation/Links to an external site. 

Read through the more recent '10 Things You should know about Urbanisation.' 2023

Make Key Notes on 2018 (previous page) & 2023 (this page )

  • See what points you can notice which have changed in the last five years. 

  • See if you can explain and justify the changes over time.

  • Up to one page of writing and upload /submit your work

 

 

 

 

 

 

IL

Urban Environments

What IS Urbanisation?

Urbanisation means an increase in the proportion of people living in urban areas compared to rural areas. An urban area is a built-up area such as a town or city. A rural area is an area of countryside.

As a country industrialises, the number of people living in urban areas tends to increase. The UK and many other MEDCs urbanised during the 18th and 19th centuries. People migrated from rural areas (due to the mechanisation in farming) to urban areas where there was employment in the new factories. The area of cities known as the inner city developed during this time as rows of terraced housing were built for workers.

Today the UK is a mostly urban society, with 90 per cent of the population living in towns or cities.

On a global scale, urbanisation is taking place rapidly, particularly in LEDCs

Although the UK is an urban society, more and more people are choosing to live on the edge of urban areas - with many relocating to the countryside. This is called counter-urbanisation.

Globally more than 50% of the world's population live in urban areas.

Megacities: Cities are large urban settlements. The number of cities with over 10 million people is increasing. These are called megacities In 1950, there were only two megacities - New York and Tokyo. Today, there are 23. By 2025, there will be more than 30.

world city is a globally important city, like London or Tokyo, which has an economic or cultural status that is recognised above other cities.

 

The table shows the top 10 megacities. Source: Demographia World Urban areas 2015.

RankUrban areaCountryPopulation estimate

1

Tokyo-Yokohama

Japan

37,843,000

2

Jakarta

Indonesia

30,539,000

3

Delhi

India

24,998,000

4

Manila

Philippines

24,123,000

5

Seoul-Incheon

South Korea

23,480,000

6

Shanghai

China

23,416,000

7

Karachi

Pakistan

22,123,000

8

Beijing

China

21,009,000

9

New York

United States

20,630,000

10

Guangzhou-Foshan

China

20,597,000

Causes of urban growth

The population of cities changes in one of two ways:

  1. Natural Increase (or decrease) - the difference between the number of births and the number of deaths

  2. Rural to Urban Migration - the movement of people into or out of the city

More and more people are leaving rural areas and moving to cities. This is called rural to urban migration. People move because of push and pull factors. Push factors are things that make people want to leave rural areas and pull factors are the things that attract people to the city. (See your previous work to recap these)

Push factors

These include:

  • unemployment

  • lower wages

  • crop failure

  • poor living conditions

  • poor health and education services

  • few facilities

  • natural disasters

  • civil war

Pull factors

These include:

  • more jobs

  • higher wages

  • better living conditions

  • better education and health services

  • better facilities

  • less chance of natural disasters

Many LEDCs have cities growing rapidly as a result of rural to urban migration and natural population increase. 

Problems associated with rapid urbanisation 

The promise of jobs and prosperity, among other factors, pulls people to cities. Half of the global population already lives in cities, and by 2050 two-thirds of the world's people are expected to live in urban areas. But in cities two of the most pressing problems facing the world today also come together: poverty and environmental degradation.

Poor air and water quality, insufficient water availability, waste-disposal problems, and high energy consumption are exacerbated by the increasing population density and demands of urban environments. Strong city planning will be essential in managing these and other difficulties as the world's urban areas swell. 

What are some of the potential problems?

  • Intensive urban growth can lead to greater poverty, with local governments unable to provide services for all people.

  • Concentrated energy use leads to greater air pollution with significant impact on human health.

  • Automobile exhaust produces elevated lead levels in urban air.

  • Large volumes of uncollected waste create multiple health hazards.

  • Urban development can magnify the risk of environmental hazards such as flash flooding.

  • Pollution and physical barriers to root growth promote loss of urban tree cover.

  • Animal populations are inhibited by toxic substances, vehicles, and the loss of habitat and food sources.

Many LEDCs have cities growing rapidly as a result of inward migration and natural population increase.

Cities like Accra in Ghana are experiencing rapid urbanisation. This process impacts on all aspects of the settlement:

  • Social - there are too many people for existing housing, schools and hospitals. Tensions may develop between new arrivals and longer established residents. Crime levels are also rising.

  • Economic - there are not enough jobs for all the people. City authorities cannot afford to plan and pay for all the facilities and infrastructure that the growing population needs. Many people work but do not contribute taxes to the government so spending cannot match needs.

  • Environmental - the green space in the city decreases as squatter settlements are built, and this reduces the amount of inner city garden food growing areas. The city grows outwards as much new growth is on the edge of the built-up area. Pollution levels rise with more people in the city.

 

Infographic: More people are living in insecure, rented housing. © ODI 2018.Infographic: Cities will need 331 million new low-cost homes by 2025. © ODI 2018.Infographic: The number of people without basic water and sanitation is increasing. © ODI 2018.Infographic: Growing cities lead to more congestion and traffic fatalities. © ODI 2018.Infographic: In many cities, energy demand will rise faster than population growth. © ODI 2018.Infographic: Poor air quality in cities poses serious health risks. © ODI 2018.Infographic: Cities need to create better jobs. © ODI 2018.

 

Infographic: The challenges of urbanisation are political, not just technical. © ODI 2018.

EXTENTION: Take a look at: 

https://odi.org/en/publications/10-things-to-know-about-the-impacts-of-urbanisation/Links to an external site. 

Read through the more recent '10 Things You should know about Urbanisation.' 2023

Make Key Notes on 2018 (previous page) & 2023 (this page )

  • See what points you can notice which have changed in the last five years. 

  • See if you can explain and justify the changes over time.

  • Up to one page of writing and upload /submit your work

 

 

 

 

 

 

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