Component 1:Urbanising World Challenges 3.1 A&B Flashcards
Define Urbanisation
Process of growth in the proportion of a county’s population living in urban areas
Compare the pattern of urbanisation in emerging, developing, and developed countires
- Developed countries have high rates of urbanisation(usually >70%), and slow growth. They are usually found in N. America, Europe, plus Australia, S. Korea and Japan
- Emerging countries have lower rates of urbanisation than developed countries, usually about 40%, but have higher growth of rates on urbanisation, these countries are mainly in E. Asia and S.America
- Developing countries have very low rates of urbanisation, but very high growth. They are usually located in Africa, and parts of Asia
Define a megacity
A city whose resident population is greater than or equal to 10million
Explain the grading system used to categorise cities into order of global importance and significance
4 grades:
Alpha++:most global importance and significance, only 2-London and New York (possibly third in near future:Tokyo-Yokohama)
Alpha+:Large global importance and influential, financial hubs, attracts high amount of investment, company HQs, may have political importance
e.g.: Milan, Paris, Sydney,Beijing
Alpha: quite globally important and influential, still a lot of investment, fewer large company HQs, some political importance
e.g.:Madrid, Chicago, Mumbai, Toronto, Moscow
Alpha-:relatively important and influential, investment, political importance
e.g.:Rome, Stockholm, Lisbon, Taipei
Describe the pattern of growth in the number of megacities
There will be very little or no growth in Europe and N.America and Oceania,
most growth will be in Asia and Africa, and some in S. America
Explain one reason why most city growth will take place in developing, and emerging countries
In developed countries, cities are more established ‘as they are’, there are limits, for example green belts, to limit the physical growth of cities outwards, which affects the maximum population growth. In developed countries, rates of urbanisation are much higher than developing and emerging countries, as more people live in cities or other urban areas. In developing and emerging countries, they have more rural populations, and many are deciding to love in cities in search of better lives, jobs, housing, services…etc
Explain what a ‘World city’ or ‘Primacy city’ is
World cities or primacy cities are cities that have a disproportionate role(compared to their size and population)in the country’s and the global economy, and world affairs.
For example London has a large economic influence on the world-half of the world’s money(aprox. US$35 trillion) comes through London each year, and companies and brokers in London have some power to decide where the money may be invested, spent, or not invested or spent
Name some common features of a world/primacy city
- Investment- many businesses locate in the, a lot of investment goes to infrastructure and services, this also creates many jobs, and many specialised businesses offer prestigious, high pay jobs that are not available elsewhere-bankers, managerial poistions
- Migration: many jobs, so people move to find work, more opportunities, netter jobs(see above)
- Transport: Transport (especially airline traffic), London’s airports combined were the largest in terms of passenger numbers in the world, a port, good transport
-HQs of large companies, many decisions made
80% of large companies have HQs in N.America, Europe, Japan
-Political decisions: government decision affect people globally -conflict, trade, investment
Give a reason why a city may decline
Example:Detroit
An former industrialised city, a lot of manufacturing, home to General Motors, largest car manufacturer
Manufacturing went overseas, GM used robots in production lines to remain competitive, reduced number of jobs, wealthier population left, so tax income reduced
Why might a city on in a developing country increase in population size
Example:Kampala
In rural areas, there are few job opportunities, limited education and a lack of services and healthcare
There is also a high poverty rate, and water scarcity is a big problem
In the capital, Kampala, there are many more job opportunities, most which are higher paid than farming in rural areas, there are also many more services, and better access to healthcare and education, as well as better housing, and more provision of water and sewage, as well as Kampala being located next to Lake Victoria, the largest lake in the region
Therefore many people decide to move to Kampala for a generally better life
Discuss why London may or may not be classed as a megacity, and state its current 2016 estimated population
London population(metropolitan area):8.6 million London population(built up area eg up to Watford):11 million London population(50km radius eg up to Chelmsford):15million Megacity threshold 10 million The metropolitan area of London (33 boroughs)'s population is 8.6 million
There is no singe definition to distinguish a town from a city, some towns refer to the,selves as cities, even with populations of 40,000.
The term ‘million city’ is a city with a minimum, population of 1 million.
The area of a city can be measured differently, and may include conurbations, or other built up areas, or none of the above, therefore, depending on the method used, London may or may not be classed as a megacity, as shown above
Compare the number of ‘million cities’ in the world between 1950-2015, and mention the development stage of the countries they are in
In 1950 there were 83 ‘million cities’(NOT 83 million cities), they were mostly in what are now developed countries eg USA, UK, Japan, Canada.
In 1997, there were 285 ‘million cities’, 106 in developed countries and 179 in emerging and developing countries, as they were the ones experiencing the highest growth rates, and by 2015, there were more than 500 ‘million cities’ in total.
Increasing numbers of megacities and cities are in emerging countries, in 2015, only 25% were in developed countries
