4.3 Changing Cities - Case Study: Mexico City (Paper 2) Flashcards
<p>What is the <b>site</b> of Mexico City?</p>
<p>The Central Plateau on which Mexico City stands is a flat area surrounded by a mountain range
Movement of people and goods from early times was along this plateau, and Mexico City is at the centre point of all these routes</p>
<p>What is the population of Mexico City?</p>
<p>21 Million inhabitants</p>
<p>Why do people Migrate to Mexico CIty?</p>
<p>Rural to Urban Migration:</p>
<ul><li>People left the countryside and came to the city to look for better standard of housing, education and more advanced healthcare</li><li>Generally, they wanted to escape the poverty experienced by many in the countryside</li></ul>
<p>Economic investment and growth:</p>
<ul><li>Mexico City attracted a lot of FDI because of its location</li><li>This created economic growth and is what attracted people from the countryside</li></ul>
<p>What are the environmental impacts of rapid urbanisation in Mexico City?</p>
<p>Rapid urban growth causes a number of environmental impacts:</p>
<ul><li>Inadequate sewerage facilities lead to polluted water</li><li>Unregulated growth leads to housing being built in environmentally sensitive areas</li><li>A lack of gas or electricity leads to intensive cooking with wood fires, something that seriously compromises air quality</li><li>Transport and industry have both increased, considerably contributing to environmental issues. This has a knock-on effect on the health of people living in Mexico City</li></ul>
<p>Why is there national migration in Mexico City?</p>
<p>Due to poverty and lack of education in rural areas, people migrate to Mexico City in search of a better standard of living</p>
<p>What is the impacts of rapid migration in Mexico City on Housing?</p>
<ul><li>The more people that move to Mexico City the more housing is needed</li><li>There is a shortage and so many people are forced to build their own housing in slums on the edge of the city</li><li>Quality of life is poor in the slums and poor sanitation often causes illness and spread of disease</li></ul>
<p>What are the impacts of rapid migration in Mexico City on Education?</p>
<ul><li>There are not enough schools to provide education to children living in slums, instead, they often work in dangerous conditions to help provide for their families</li><li>This lack of education means people often stay trapped in poverty as they are unable to get better jobs and improve their situation</li></ul>
<p>Why are there large inequalities in Mexico City?</p>
<ul><li>Income Variation</li><li>Corruption</li><li>Large Scale Migration</li></ul>
<p>What are the impacts of Rapid Urbanisation in Mexico on <b>Water Supply</b>?</p>
<ul><li>Rising population puts enormous pressure on an already struggling water supply</li><li>This means water has to be pumped from reservoirs to the west of the city</li><li>The remaining 70% of the city’s water supply comes from wells sunk deep into the underground aquifers, which are running dry</li><li>The fact that Mexico City is 2400m above sea level makes this particularly difficult</li><li>As these underground aquifers are emptied, land subsides (sinks) and buildings, power lines and sewage pipes are broken</li></ul>
<p>What is the <b>Informal Economy</b>?</p>
<p>The informal economy is the section of the economy that is neither taxed nor monitored by the government</p>
<p>What are <b>Bottom-up</b> strategies?</p>
<p>Bottom-up strategies are small-scale community-led developments</p>
<p>What are the advantages of bottom-up strategies?</p>
<ul><li>People are passionate about their own area, meaning more likely to be involved long term</li><li>Can be started with little funds</li><li>Can be started by a small group or even one person</li></ul>
<p>What are the disadvantages of bottom-up approaches?</p>
<ul><li>Do not have a lot of money so may remain small scale, impacting fewer people</li><li>Cannot easily deal with national issues, they are better for local problems</li><li>May not have political support</li></ul>
<p>What are <b>Top-Down</b> strategies?</p>
<p>Top-down development strategies are large-scale developments usually led by governments</p>
<p>What are the advantages of Top-Down strategies?</p>
<ul><li>Government-backed so more likely to happen</li><li>Money will not be a limitation</li><li>Jobs are often created</li><li>It is possible to deal with large-scale national and international issues, which smaller community-led strategies cannot do</li><li>Could spark system-wide global change</li></ul>
