Case Study - Mexico City (emerging city)

Question 1

What kind of development is Mexico/ Mexico City?

Answer 1

Emerging

Question 2

what is the meaning of settlement?

Answer 2

a place where people live

Question 3

what is the meaning of site?

Answer 3

it describes the actual land which a settlement is built

Question 4

what is the meaning of situation?

Answer 4

it describes the location of a settlement in relationship to the things that are around it

Question 5

what is the meaning of connectivity?

Answer 5

the state of being connected - how accessible a place is

Question 6

what is the site of Mexico City?

Answer 6

the city was built on an island on a lake, which provided drinking water for the city and a ready source of fish for the Aztecs in 1325

Question 7

what is the situation of Mexico City?

Answer 7

the central plateau is fairly flat, surrounded by mountains

Question 8

what is the connectivity of Mexico City?

Answer 8

the city is at the focal point of important routs, and also to main routes which connect North and South America.

Question 9

what is the cultural, economic and global importance of Mexico City?

Answer 9

there is a great inequality in income, lifestyle, housing, employment, access to services.
in 2011, GDP=$411 billion
population = 21+ million - largest metropolitan area in western hemisphere.

Question 10

what are the reasons for the variable population growth of Mexico City?

Answer 10

rural-to-urban migration
rates of natural increase
economic investment and growth

Question 11

describe rural-to-urban migration

Answer 11

people left the countryside in search of jobs, better housing, schooling, modern healthcare and wanting to escape the hardship and poverty of parts of the countryside

Question 12

describe rates of natural increase

Answer 12

the most significant part of the growth between 1950 - 1960
the main cause of rising natural increase was a fall in deathrate

Question 13

describe economic investment and growth

Answer 13

growth in job opportunities in factories and offices attracted immigrants as economic investment was channeled into the city

Question 14

what is a push factor?

Answer 14

a negative reason to leave a place

Question 15

what is a pull factor?

Answer 15

a positive reason that attracts people to a place

Question 16

what is spacial inequality?

Answer 16

the unequal amounts of resources and services an area has
e.g doctors, schools, water

Question 17

what is informal economy?

Answer 17

the part of the economy that is neither taxed nor monitored by the government

Question 18

what are reasons for inequality?

Answer 18

wages/working hours
education
services
arrival from the countryside
political power

Question 19

why are wages/working hours a reason for inequality?

Answer 19

minimum wage should be $4/day but 1in3 earn less.
wages much higher in CBD with top 20% earning as much as 13x more than the bottom 20%
poorer people work more hours

Question 20

why is education a reason for inequality?

Answer 20

poorest 10% have average only 2 years of school attendance
richest 10% have average 12 years of school attendance

Question 21

why are services a reason for inequality?

Answer 21

shanty town residents have no running water, electricity or food shops
wealthier residents have large houses

Question 22

why is migration a reason for inequality?

Answer 22

recent arrivals = usually poor and have to live in slums/shanty towns

Question 23

why is political power a reason for inequality?

Answer 23

wealthier people = those with political power
able to get homes in nicer parts of the city

Question 24

what are some effects of urbanisation?

Answer 24

water supply (demand>supply)
lack of housing
informal and under employment
pollution (air and waste)

Question 25

what are some impacts of rapid urbanisation?

Answer 25

housing shortages
squatter settlements
under-employment
pollution
inadequate services