Urbanization and Settlement Notes

General Concepts

  • Rural depopulation: Population decrease in rural areas.
  • Rural-urban migration: Movement from rural to urban areas.
  • Urbanization: Increase in the percentage of people living in urban areas.

Push and Pull Factors of Urbanization

  • Push Factors (from rural areas): Few services, lack of jobs, unhappy life, poor transport, natural disasters, wars, food shortage.
  • Pull Factors (to urban areas): Access to services, better job opportunities, more entertainment, better transport, improved living, hope for a better life, family links.

Impact of Urbanization

  • In Rural Areas: Farms neglected, villages decline, schools close, fewer jobs, population ages, productivity declines.
  • In Urban Areas: Job shortages lead to unemployment/crime, housing shortages lead to informal settlements, infrastructure strain (water, sewage, roads, electricity), increased land pollution.

Urban Land Use Zones

  • CBD (Central Business District)
  • Residential Areas
  • Shopping Centers
  • Industry
  • Recreational
  • Informal Settlements

Central Business District (CBD)

  • Center of commercial life, highly accessible.
  • Variety of functions (business, finance, shops).
  • High land value leads to tall buildings.
  • Traffic and parking issues can lead to suburban shopping centers/business parks.

Residential Areas

  • Low-income: Small plots, old apartments, small/no garden.
  • Middle-income: Decent plots, plain gardens, small/no pool, single/double story.
  • High-income: Big plots, multistorey houses, large gardens, pools, great views.

Shopping Centers

  • Community Shopping Centers: Walking distance, near busy intersections, convenience goods, chain stores.
  • Regional Shopping Centers: Further from home, convenience and higher-order goods, all stores under one roof, parking, variety of products.
  • Informal Shopping: Hawkers and pavement sellers in busy areas, cheap goods, supports disadvantaged, issues with clutter and weather.

Industry

  • Heavy Industry: Outside city, flat land/near water, large machinery (pollution), near road/rail, low-income housing nearby (e.g., iron and steel).
  • Light Industry: Near CBD, small/medium factories, small workforce, light machinery (less pollution), near road transport (e.g., clothes, electronics).

Recreational Areas

  • Breaks monotony, peaceful, filters noise/air pollution (e.g., parks, sports fields).

Informal Settlements

  • No service delivery, high poverty/crime, city outskirts, high density/no pattern, houses of wood/plastic/metal, unhealthy conditions.