challenges of an urbanising world

Urbanisation Overview

  • Definition: The rise in the percentage of people living in urban areas compared to rural areas.

  • Historical Context: 2007 marked the first year more people lived in urban areas than rural ones.

  • Future Trends: Significant increases in urbanisation expected in Africa and Asia due to rural-urban migration.

  • Current Trends: Most of the world’s largest cities are in emerging countries (NEEs).

Types of Cities

  • Million City: A city with a population over one million people.

  • Megacity: A city with a population exceeding ten million people.

  • Conurbation: The merging of towns and cities due to population growth.

  • World City: A city playing a significant role in global affairs, with influence beyond its size.

Urban Economies

  • Formal Economy: Official jobs meeting legal standards for accounts, taxes, and worker pay conditions.

  • Informal Economy: Unofficial jobs without contracts or recorded employment rights.

    • LICs (Low-Income Countries): Primarily primary industry with low-paid jobs.

    • NEEs (Newly Emerging Economies): Focus on secondary industry with slightly higher pay.

    • HICs (High-Income Countries): Predominantly tertiary and quaternary industries, offering well-paid jobs.

Urbanisation Patterns

  • Urbanisation: Driven by rural-urban migration resulting in growth (e.g., New York).

  • De-industrialisation: Cities like Detroit decline due to industry closures (e.g., General Motors).

  • Suburbanisation: People move from cities to outskirts due to overcrowding.

  • Counter-urbanisation: Movement from urban areas to rural areas for quieter lifestyles.

  • Regeneration: Revitalization of older urban areas through redevelopment.

City Change Dynamics

  • Burgess Model:

    • Central Business District (CBD): City center with most businesses and transport.

    • Inner City: Area of older factories, often declining due to de-industrialization.

    • Suburbs: Larger houses where commuters live, surrounding the inner city.

    • Rural Urban Fringe: Mix of land uses including housing, parks, and business areas.

Case Study: Lagos

  • Status: Lagos is a megacity (16 million in 2015), Nigeria's main commercial city.

  • Structure:

    • CBD located near the southern tip, influenced by natural geography (Lagos lagoon).

    • Poor-quality housing surrounds the inner city, with significant inequality.

    • Rapid growth due to hyper-urbanisation: 1,000 new migrants daily.

  • Opportunities:

    • Significant informal economy, with over 5,000 businesses in slums like Makoko.

    • Employment via industries and TNCs boosting job availability (e.g., Shell).

  • Challenges:

    • High levels of homelessness and inadequate infrastructure (e.g., only 60% have water access).

    • Government inefficiencies and corruption prevent development for the poor.

Government Challenges and Development Solutions

  • Inefficiencies: Slow approval for infrastructure improvements.

  • Real Estate Constraints: Rent limits discourage property enhancement.

  • Social Disparities: Lack of affordable housing for lower-income residents due to prioritization of wealthier developments.

  • Proposed Solutions:

    • Bottom-up approaches like the Recycle Pay project and floating schools.

    • Top-down initiatives such as EKO Atlantic and transit schemes.