Cities Flashcards
What are the Economic advantages of cities
- access to work, industry, income
- locations for businesses + companies to base their offices
- Provide companies with large numbers of customers
- Access to transport links e.g railways, highways
- Wide range of job opportunities
- Birthplace of new ideas - subways, elevators, telephones etc
What are the Social advantages of cities
- Access to schools, hospitals, entertainment, sporting, + cultural events
- Easier + cheaper to supply services in cities
- Large range of goods + services
- Cities provide residents with water, electricity, supermarkets, public transport, healthcare, internet access, schools
- Access to entertainment e.g theatres
What is the result of migration
Growing populations in cities(urban explosion)
What do migrants come in search for
employment, education, better standards of living, links with people of the same cultural background
What does immigration cause
cultural diversity
What are the environmental disadvantages of cities
(7)
- Cities change the natural environment
- Air, water, soil pollution from people, factories, cars etc
- Transportation of goods + services creates more pollution
- Larger cities put more stress on natural environment
- Expanding cities means forests are cleared, wetlands are drained, rivers are diverted
- Replacing soil for concrete creates disastrous consequences for native animal populations
- Creates endangered species
What are the social disadvantages of cities
- Overcrowding and rising house prices
- Lack of schools + hospitals in new areas on edges of cities
- Expansion of cities comes at a cost to people
- Competitions for services + resources
What is traffic congestion
The result of too many people trying to use the roads at the same time
What is rise in costs
(what is it caused by)
Greater numbers of people are competing for resources that can be supplied
Why are there waiting times for services
more people trying to access these services than they were designed to accommodate
What are crime rates determined by
Combination of unemployment, cultural + economic background, age, and gender
What resulted in the growth of cities worldwide
Increase in people residing in cities (growing city populations)
Where are the most megacities located
Asia, South America, Africa. Asia has the most megacities
Name some of Asia’s megacities
Tokyo, New Delhi, Jakarta, and Shanghai
Where do most Australians live
on the coast
Maps can be used to find the population ______.
density
What is meant by high population density
Regions where there are lots of people per square km(on a map)
What is meant by low population density
Regions where there are very few of people per square km(on a map)
What are cities located near
Features humans need most - fresh water, fertile soil, transport links
Why were towns built close to coasts near rivers
- fresh water
- trade routes/ transport routes
- communication
When did towns begin to develop
After important minerals such as gold was discovered
What are the 3 environmental factors affecting why people live where they do
-rainfall, soil fertility, climate
Places that receive the _______ reliable rainfall are the most populated
most
Places that receive the _______ reliable rainfall are the least populated
least
What does the Great dividing range impact
climate, vegetation, + animals of the east coast of Aus
Explain the process of the Great Diving Range and how it affects climate on the EASTERN side
- Winds from south-east push warm, moist air over the land
- Air is forced to rise over the mountain range
- As the are rises, it cools, condenses, and forms water droplets which fall on the eastern side of the range
- Water falls into rivers and supplies fresh water
Explain how The Great Diving Range affects climate on the WESTERN side
- Land is dry + flat
- Moist air that passes over the range is now dry
- air stays warm but is also dry
- little rainfall
What is fresh water used for
drinking, food production, hydroelectricity, industry, transport
Where do the majority of Americans live
urban areas
What is BosNYWash classed as
megalopolis
What are the 3 main parts of US cities
city centre, suburbs, exurbs
What is at the centre of most American cities
tall skyscrapers, high density residential apartment buildings
What is downtown in an American city
- place where the city was first settled
- contains head offices of large companies
- large residential apartment buildings
Why are buildings taller rather than wide in city centre in American cities
land in city centre is expensive
What are suburbs in American cities
- large areas of medium density residential housing
- home to over half of people living in cities
What are exurbs in American cities
- separated by suburbs but connected by a network of roads + railways
- separated by farmlands and open spaces
- people living in exurbs travel into the city for work
What are exurbs also called in US cities
Dormitory suburbs
What is urban sprawl
When suburbs and exurbs expand and join together, increasing the size of the city
what is the key driver of urban sprawl
car ownership
Why is car ownership the key driver of urban sprawl
Cars allow people who live in suburbs + exurbs to commute to work in the city centre more safely + easily
What are the 5 areas of New York known as
boroughs
Describe American apartments
- Each floor divided into 4-6 apartments
- Convenience stores at ground level
- Subway stations nearby
- Corner coffee shops are popular as apartments are too small for entertainment
- About half of NY pop owns an apartment, other half rents one
What links cities with suburbs
tunnels, bridges, rail lines, ferries, bicycle lanes, pedestrian walkways
What are voluntary migrants
People who are free to choose when and where they move
What is sea change
The movement of people to regional coastal towns
What do coastal areas need as they grow
sewerage systems, water resources, roads, + services
What are the 2 categories of factors of migration
Push and pull factors
What are push factors
Negative factors which push people away from a place
What are pull factors
Positive factors which pull people towards a place
What is counter-migration
when migrants go back to where they moved from
What are examples of push factors
- not enough jobs
- low entertainment options
- poor healthcare facilities
- lack of educational opportunities
- religious or political persecution
- natural disasters
What are examples of pull factors
- job opportunities
- more sporting and entertainment options
- medical specialists and hospitals
- schools and universities
- better living conditions
- better climate
What are refugees
People who have been forced to cross international borders to escape persecution or to find another home after a natural disaster
Where do refugees commonly come from
Pakistan, Iran, Turkey
What are the 3 main ways to manage growth of cities
Suburbanisation, Urban renewal, decentralisation
What is suburbanisation
the process of growing cities outwards by building new housing estates away from the CBD
Explain the process of suburbanisation
- new suburbs are built on what was once farm/bushland on the fringe of urban areas
- Services are attached to these areas to meet the needs of growing population
- area becomes urbanised
- Industries are attracted by the cheaper land + rent of these developing suburbs
What are the advantages of suburbanisation
- housing estates are relatively quick and inexpensive to establish
- affordable options for housing
- new housing can be built more energy efficient and sustainable
What are the disadvantages of suburbanisation
- new infrastructure to build near growing suburbs can be very expensive
- local services can be slow to arrive
- residents end up relying on motor vehicles due to infrequent or unreliable public transport - road congestion
What is urban renewal
the process of taking existing areas no longer in use within a city’s boundaries and redeveloping them
Explain the process of urban renewal
- areas selected are places that have become rundown over time(urban decay)
- areas are redeveloped to provide new houses fro residents and offices for businesses
What does urban renewal allow for
housing estates to be built in existing urban areas so that more people can be housed within established suburbs rather than needing to build new ones
What are the advantages of urban renewal
- help a city cope with population growth without the need for urban sprawl
- developers can make use of existing infrastructure when establishing new areas e.g transport routes, energy supply, telecommunications
- new residents get the advantage of inner-city living
What are the disadvantages of urban renewal
- historic areas with special significance can be expensive to refurbish
- new buildings must blend in with existing ones - restrictions on development
- sharp increases in population numbers in a small area can put pressure on services + decrease the liveability for existing residents
- e.g public transport may not be able to meet the increased demand leading to overcrowding on certain routes
What is decentralisation
process of encouraging population growth and job creation in areas outside CBDs of major cities
What is decentralisation used for
to take pressure off larger capital cities by providing job opportunities in other areas - regional + suburb areas
What is decentralisation to regional cities
- encourage people to move to smaller regional cities and towns nearby
- industries and companies are given financial benefits to encourage them to move their operations
- Government departments are also established in regional areas
What is decentralisation to suburbs
- used to spread the location of multiple business activity centres so that business is not all centralised in the CBD
- smaller business activity centres become hubs for employment
- established in a range of suburbs with good public transport
Why was decentralisation to suburbs designed
- designed to spread the load so that all workers do not have to travel to the CBD everyday
What is natural decentralisation
- population movement trends which cause migration without government involvement
- e.g more people moving to coastal areas
What are advantages to decentralisation
- help relieve some of the problems of large cities such as cost of housing, traffic congestion, and damage to the natural environment
What are disadvantages to decentralisation
- difficult and expensive to get companies and workers to move to regional centres in numbers necessary to make incentive(profit) and development programs(increasing smaller areas) a success
