9.1.1 Global Patterns Of Urbanisation Flashcards
Define urbanisation
The progressive concentration of the population into urban areas over time. Caused through a combination of high natural increases of the urban population and the process of rural-urban migration
Highest and lowest levels of urbanisation are registered in
HDEs show the highest levels of urbanisation, with the lowest levels being in Africa and SE Asia
How did world population and urban population change in 1945 - today and why?
In 1945, less than a 1/3 of the world’s population lived in urban areas
World population doubled between 1950 and 2015, but the urban population more than trebled due to:
The decline of industry in HDEs, as the industry moved overseas to EMEs and LDEs to take advantage of a cheaper workforce, government incentives, tax breaks, etc.
Which led to industrial growth in EMEs and ‘pulled’ people from rural regions to urban areas, with the hope of a better life and employment
Why do high rates of urbanisation occur in HDEs?
High rates of urbanisation occur in HDEs because:
Most new economic development is concentrated in the big cities
Push-pull factors lead to high rates of rural-to-urban migration
Cities are experiencing higher levels of natural increase in population
What are the push-pull factors meaning?
Push - negative factors that push people away from their homes
Pull - positive factors that ‘pull’ people to a place
Stages of urban population growth
1 - developing - rural society phase, low levels of urbanisation, largely rural population of subsistence farmers
2 - emerging - economics take-off begins, rapid rural to urban migration leads to an accelerating rate of urbanisation
3 - emerged - maturing economy, rates of urbanisation continue to rise but then start to slacken off, suburban spread
4 - developed - mass urbanisation in most developed nations, rate of urbanisation levels off & percentage of urban peaks, most people now live in towns
5 - counter urbanisation - in advanced economies decentralisation sets in, people move to smaller towns & cities & semi-rural areas; urbanism continues to spread
What are the causes of slow or declining urban growth in HDE?
Because the industrial revolution ‘pulled’ the population into developing urban areas at that time
Nowadays, many people in HDEs are being ‘pushed’ away from overcrowded cities to rural settlements
HDEs tend to have good transport and communication networks therefore, people can live in rural areas and commute to cities or work from home
What are rapid causes of urbanisation in EME?
Key trade hub cities are seeing greater growth than others due to investment from the government and TNCs
Cities such as Lagos in Nigeria, Shanghai in China, Mumbai in India, Sao Paulo in Brazil and St Petersburg in Russia - none of these are the country’s capital
Trade such as finance, electronics and manufactured goods
What ate the causes of fastest rates of urbanisation in LDE?
Asia is expected to contribute towards 60% of global growth by 2030
Most new economic development is concentrated in the big cities through investment in low-cost manufacturing of textiles, garments and shoes
Push-pull factors lead to high rates of rural-to-urban migration
Cities are experiencing higher levels of natural increase in population
What is the trend of growth of millionaire cities?
In 1900 there were just 2 ‘millionaire’’ cities (London and Paris), by 2018 this had grown to 512
Outline trends of urbanisation in EMEs and LDEs?
EMEs and LDEs experience mass rural to urban migration of mainly of young males seeking to support their families in rural areas
However, there is the growth of informal settlements, extreme poverty, gender inequality and exposure to violence and exploitation
Many EMEs and LDEs are over-urbanising – where the rate of urbanisation exceeds the rate of economic development - this is leading to high unemployment and increased demand for resources, which in turn leads to high levels of tension between residents and also between residents and urban officials
Explain process of urbanisation
Urbanisation begins as settlements agglomerate:
People gather together in one area to sell goods and live
Small trading posts and villages begin to develop
Inward migration and natural increase adds to the growth
Explain the process of suburbanisation
Urban space is limited, and outward growth is achieved through suburbanisation:
People move from the urban centres to the fringes/outskirts of the city
This adds to the built up area, but the building densities are generally lower than in the older parts of the city
These new suburbs consist mostly of houses, but also include places of employment and services
There is a complex pattern of wealth and poverty, with wealthier middle-class people occupying particular areas of the suburbs and creating pockets of deprivation and segregation
Explain the process of counter-urbanisation
This is the movement of people from an urban area into the surrounding rural region
Counter-urbanisation leads to new housing estates being built in rural areas, but may push house prices beyond the reach of local people, which can change the age structure of the area
Outline causes of counter-urbanisation
Deindustrialisation - the closure of factories and industries leads to large areas of derelict land and buildings (brownfield sites), loss of jobs, poor services and a rise in crime and social unrest - rise of ‘urban blight’
Mobility and accessibility: higher personal car ownership, increase in public transport and road development making easier access to rural areas
Increased wealth: making housing and travel more affordable
Agricultural decline (mechanisation and merger of farms): more land becomes available for housing and agricultural workers leave the area
Green belt: people need to go further out to get the rural life they are looking for
Second homes and early retirement: have increased the movement of people from the city to the countryside
Some people just prefer the slower and quieter pace of rural life
