Contemporary urban environments

Question 1

Define Primary industry

Answer 1

Producing raw materials

Eg farming, fishing, logging

Question 2

Define Secondary industry

Answer 2

Manufacturing raw materials into products

Eg factories

Question 3

Define Tertiary industry

Answer 3

Services

Eg salesman, fireman

Question 4

Define Quaternary industry

Answer 4

Highly skilled, knowledge based jobs

Eg biochemical engineering, IT

Question 5

What are the characteristics of an urban area?

Answer 5

Economy :
Quaternary jobs
Tertiary jobs
High cost of living

Environment :
Industrial - high rise buildings, factories
Pollution
Transport
Brownfield sites

People :
Densely populated
Diversity - rich poor divide
Young employed people

Question 6

Which characteristics do we consider to determine if an area is urban?

Answer 6

Minimum population threshold
Population density
Proportion of non agricultural employment
Infrastructure
Education / health services

Question 7

What percentage of the world population lives in an urban area
1950 / now / 2050

Answer 7

30% in 1950
54% now
66% by 2050

Question 8

What percentage of global GDP is generated in cities?

Answer 8

80%

Question 9

What are the reasons for urbanisation?

Answer 9

Natural increase

Rural-urban migration

Question 10

Define and name the push factors

Answer 10

Factors that push people out of rural areas.
Population growth
Agricultural problems
Disease and lack of medical provision
Global agriculture (cash crops)
Natural disasters
War

Question 11

Define and name the pull factors

Answer 11

Factors that encourage people into urban areas
Employment in factories / service industry are better paid
Earning money from informal sector e.g. Selling goods on street
Better healthcare
Better quality of life

Question 12

Name some issues caused by urbanisation

Answer 12

Overcrowding -> lack of resources -> poverty -> spread of disease
Pollution -> light, air, sound
Cycle of decline in rural areas
Unemployment
Pressure on housing

Question 13

Give the consequences of urbanisation

Answer 13

Urban sprawl
Shortage of housing in LICs
Shortage of housing in HICs
Unemployment / under employment
Transport issues
Lack of urban services / waste disposal
Pollution

Question 14

A consequence of urbanisation is urban sprawl, expand on this

Answer 14

Requires more roads/infrastructure -> pipes, cables, wires
Loss of habitat / farmland -> loss of local food sources
Impact water quality / quantity -> impermeable surfaces
Decentralisation
More commuting from suburbs
More traffic -> air pollution -> higher temps

Question 15

A consequence of urbanisation is shortage of housing in LICs, expand on this

Answer 15

High population density -> lack of housing -> informal housing (slums)
E.g. Slum upgrading programs aim to improve life for slum dwellers

Question 16

Give some characteristics of slums

Answer 16

On the edge of cities / low land value
Hazard prone e.g. Landslide
Next to transport networks
Lack of basic infrastructure / services
High air / noise / water pollution

Question 17

A consequence of urbanisation is shortage of housing in HICs, expand on this

Answer 17

Rising demand for housing -> higher cost -> 50% more expensive in London 2010-2015
In migration
Gentrification

Question 18

A consequence of urbanisation is unemployment and underemployment, expand on this

Answer 18

Young city dwellers -> pressure for enough jobs
Typically high unemployment
Migrants find informal work

Question 19

A consequence of urbanisation is lack of urban services and waste disposal, expand on this

Answer 19

Lack of money in LICs -> lack of basic services
E.g. Sewers, roads, drainage, traffic jams, disease - polluted water
Lack of water / electricity
5% of water reached slums in 42 Indian cities/ towns 2015
Recycling is important for economy in Nairobi
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia government only deals with 2/3 of waste
1/3 dumped in streets/rivers -> health risk

Question 20

A consequence of urbanisation is traffic issues, expand on this

Answer 20

Rush hours
More City traffic
Congestion
More pollution -> damage to health

Question 21

What are the reasons for the rapid rise of megacities?

Answer 21

Globalisation

Economic activity / competition between countries

Question 22

At what rate are megacities growing in LICs and HICs?

Answer 22

LICs- rapidly growing

HICs- slowly growing

Question 23

Why are megacities rapidly growing in LICs?

Answer 23

Due to industrialisation
Industries attracted to lower tax rates
Little income tax means governments can’t provide essential services
Many people live in overcrowded, unplanned slums/shanti towns
Many work in ‘informal economy’ / manufacturing

Question 24

Why are megacities slowly growing in HICs?

Answer 24

Due to merging with other nearby cities -> conurbations
Due to sprawling -> low population density
Most people work in ‘formal economy’

Question 25

Is large population a characteristic of world cities?

Answer 25

Not necessarily although most do have large populations

Question 26

Why is there large scale population growth in megacities?

Answer 26

Rural-urban migration by people in search of better economic prospects
(Government policies can encourage greater financial investment, e.g. Establishment of Special Enterpride Zones, china)

Question 27

What are some problems in megacities?

Answer 27

Growing populations -> strain on resources / infrastructure
LIC megacities sprawl in haphazard fashion
-> lack of employment, housing, basic services
-> concerns on how city authorities can effectively govern megacities

Question 28

What are some benefits of megacities?

Answer 28

Produce 2/3 more GDP than other cities
Chance to expand access to services e.g. Healthcare, education
Less damage to environment to provide public transport, housing, electricity, water, sanitation in densely populated areas
Larger/ more diversified employment markets
Better education / healthcare -> equality
Centres of innovation -> solve global problems

Question 29

What are the characteristics of a world city?

Answer 29

Centres of media / communications for global networks
HQs of multinational corporations
Major manufacturing centres with port / container facilities
Domination of the trade / economy of a large surrounding area
Dominance of the national region with great international significance
Financial HQs, stock exchange, major financial institutions
Centres of new ideas -> innovation in business, economics, culture, politics
Global decision making power
High proportion of employment in services information sectors
High quality education, renowned uni’s, international students
Multi functional infrastructure, best legal, medical, entertainment