3.1 Flashcards
What areas of the world have the majority of its population living in urban areas? What patterns do you notice?
Developed areas of the world, such as Europe and North America have an urban population whereas emerging or developing global regions mainly in Africa have mainly rural population because of where they are in the world it is harder for them to develop (e.g. Hot climate, droughts, difficulty in farming the land etc.).
Why do urban areas have a slower rate of growth?
Already urbanised areas grow slower because there are regulations put in place to inhibit large urbanisation. This is because urbanisation has several social issues such as its effect on the environment, meaning rural areas are likely to stay rural. On the other hand, countries that are emerging or developing have much higher rates of urban growth because the rural population begins moving towards larger towns and cities as they offer higher paying jobs with better services, opportunities and lives, whereas in places such as the UK most of the population already have well paying jobs with good services and decent lives.
By 2050, why will the majority of the population in every global region live in urban areas?
This is because the majority of countries in the world are still emerging or developing, which means those regions have birth rates much higher than that of developed countries. As a result, an increase in population will cause a need for more facilites, housing and services, all of which require spaces to be built. Rural areas begin to become urbanised as previously urbanised areas expand outwards to allow for the increasingly large population.
What are megacities and where can they be found? Any patterns?
Megacities are cities which have populations of 10 million or more, such as London and Tokyo. Megacities are found mainly developed countries, in Europe and North America, or emerging countries which have very high birth rates, such as in Asia.
Why are more megacities appearing and where? Any patterns?
Megacities are increasing in number (predicted to be 41 megacities by 2030) because of population growth and yearn for a higher quality of life. Rural areas offer less jobs at lower pay than urban areas, which is why cities like London attract millions of people every year. Living in urban areas provides you with access to better services (such as education for your children, healthcare and protection).
What problems does internal migration cause?
Internal migration cause urbanisation to become a real problem as the amount of people moving from rural areas to urban areas increases as the space and supply decreases. Rural areas experience depopulation which can lead to a loss of services and a worse economy of rural areas. Furthermore, already built up areas have to spend more money on housing and less money investing in their infrastructure.
Are megacities a good or bad thing? Why?
On one hand megacities are a positive effect because they mean that TNC’s are more likely to invest in the area as their is a large population, and therefore a large work force . However, megacities take away from rural economies and create an imbalance in where the jobs are compared to where the people are, leading to a decrease of services in rural communities.
What effect does urbanisation and megacities have on the environment?
Urbanisation is an overall negative for the environment because as a place develops more space from the surrounding rural areas are used to provide facilities and housing. Moreover, megacities create an even higher concentration of people all consuming in one area. This means that megacities use alot of power and natural resources, with the power causing pollution as it mainly comes from fossil fuels and the use of natural resources (eg wood) encouraging deforestation.
What is urban primacy and where can it be found?
Urban primacy is when a city has influence and power disproportionate to its size and it can be mainly in developed countries, for example in London.
How do primate cities have an economical influence?
Primate cities usually have several TNC’s which want to invest in that area means they will have a stronger economy. The offer of higher paying jobs increase migration to the area which further enhances the economy as it attracts highly skilled workers. Both of these are further helped by transport, which makes it easier for migration and encourages further investment.
Furthermore, how do they have a political influence?
Primate cities contain large business headquarters which means the decisions of major companies are made here, usually in the interest of the cities development rather than the country as a whole.
Are primate cities beneficial to a country? Why?
No, they are not beneficial in my opinion despite the fact that it increases migration to the country of highly skilled workers (sometimes increased migration can be a bad thing). Primate cities can have a negative effect on the country as a whole of decisions made there are not in the interest of the country.
What are the positives and negatives of an ever urbanising world? Consider this socially, environmentally and economically.
On one hand, urbanisation will create a better economy as well as providing better services, communication and access to the rest of the country as roads are developed, businesses are attracted and jobs are created. However, as urban areas expand outwards it will consume and ruin areas of environmental importance (such as habitats for local species). Furthermore as the amount of trees decrease the amount of pollution increases as consumption increases.
Why do some people want to leave urban areas?
People want to leave urban areas because some seek a less crowded life, as urban areas are busy, polluted and have expensive housing prices. Moreover, rural areas are more peaceful (less noise), with cheap housing prices and large open spaces.
What are the two Alpha ++ cities and why are they so important globally?
The two Alpha ++ cities are New York and London. These are globally important because they have essential control over the stock markets as they control the time zones for most of the world. Another city, Tokyo, is being consider whether it is an Alpha ++ city because it also controls the time zones for some of the world. As a result these cities ensure the stock market can work 24/7.
