Contemporary Urbanisation Processes

Question 1

What is urbanisation

Answer 1

The process by which and increasing proportion of an areas, region’s or country’s population lives in towns or cities

Question 2

What are the causes of urban growth

Answer 2

1) natural population growth

2) rural-urban migration

Question 3

Push factors of rural-urban migration

Answer 3

1) population growth- pressure on land
2) agricultural problems- desertification
3) local disease
4) land converting to cash crops
5) natural disease
6) wars

Question 4

Pull factors of rural-urban migration

Answer 4

1) employment in factories and services
2) employment from informal sector- shoe-shining
3) better quality services- education and health
4) more reliable water supplies- sanitation
5) perceived improved quality of life

Question 5

Characteristics of squatter settlements

Answer 5

• land not suitable for building on e.g. To steep
• close to city centre
• or on the edge of a city centre -abandoned farmland

Question 6

Regional names for squatter settlements

Answer 6

• Barrio’s
• favelas
• busters

Question 7

What are the characteristics that effect whether they are slums of despair or hope

Answer 7

• their age: legal tenure
• employment opportunities: jobs in the formal sector
• provision of services: education improved, employment potential
• city Authority Regeneration schemes

Question 8

Slums of despair

Answer 8

High unemployment
Poorly built housing
Poor water supply and sewage
Dwellings built from waste materials

Question 9

Slums of hope

Answer 9

Some formal employment and informal employment
Housing improvement through individual and group action
Water supply being improved with help from authorities
Dwellings improved with bricks- materials provided from the council

Question 10

Definition of the brown agenda

Answer 10

This is a mix of social and environmental problems brought about by rapid growth and industrialisation associated with economic development. It occurs in the LEDW

Question 11

2 key elements of the brown agenda

Answer 11

1) traditional issues- limited availability of good quality of land, shelter and services. Clean water.
2) problems resulting from rapid industrialisation e.g. Hazardous water supply- poor standards of health

Question 12

Key characteristics of the brown agenda

Answer 12

Low income groups suffer the most
Water is contaminated by sewage
City managers have to tackle the problems with insufficient funds

Question 13

Definition of suburbanisation

Answer 13

The process leading to the outward growth of a town or city which may engulf surrounding villages and towns to create a larger urban agglomeration.

Question 14

Cause and process of urbanisation

Answer 14

People wanted to escape from the decline, pollution and stress of the city
Facilitated by the growth of public transport- new roads, increase of car ownership
1930: not many planning controls, urban growth- main roads- ribbon development
1940: growth caused concern, made protected areas- green belts
1950: better planned and increased
1960: large scale construction of council estates- greenfield sites- sink estates
1970: increased home ownership- private housing estates on rural urban fringe- greenfield sites. More land so garages
1980: local shopping parades, out of town retail parks

Question 15

Reasons for increase in demand of housing in the uk

Answer 15

Increase in adult population- 77% of growth. Change in age structure- ageing population
Changes in the way that people live, more divorces and later marriages

Question 16

Solutions to the demand for housing in the uk

Answer 16

Increasing the number of people living in homes that already exist- using empty houses
Building new houses on brownfield sites

Question 17

Positive impacts of suburbanisation on the inner city

Answer 17

Less need for high-density housing- slum clearance
Low density housing- better for residents
Greater availability of space- improved communication networks
Derelict land cleared - open spaces

Question 18

Negative impact of suburbanisation in the inner city

Answer 18

Decline of inner city areas- more mobile people
Spiral of decline
Communities are split up

Question 19

Main features of greenfield sites

Answer 19

• new sites, usually on agricultural land
• land is not available unless planning permission has been granted
• housing will be low density
• sites tend to be larger

Question 20

Main features of of brownfield sites

Answer 20

• derelict sites in urban areas
• land is available but can be costly to reclaim
• Housing is likely to be higher density

Question 21

Define counter-urbanisation

Answer 21

• this is the movement of people from urban areas to smaller urban settlements and rural areas beyond the built up area

Question 22

What are the causes of counter-urbanisation

Answer 22

• people want to escape the air pollution, dirt and crime
• land and house prices are cheaper
• car ownership and greater affluence allows people to commute
• improvement in tech means that people can work from home

Question 23

How does counter-urbanisation affect the layout of rural settlements

Answer 23

• modern housing estates are built on the edges of small settlements
• former open spaces are built on
• tension between newcomers and locals as local services are often closed down

Question 24

What is the evidence for counter-urbanisation

Answer 24

• increase in the use of a commuter railway station
• increased value of housing
• construction of more executive housing
• conversions of former farm buildings

Question 25

What are the main changes of the rural turnaround

Answer 25

• outmigration of the young village born adults seeking education and employment
• decline of elderly village born through death
• immigration of young to middle aged married couples or families with young children
• in migration of younger more affluent people

Question 26

What Is re-urbanisation

Answer 26

This is the movement of people (back) into the city centre or inner city as part of the urban regeneration process

Question 27

What are the 3 main processes leading to re-urbanisation

Answer 27

• gentrification
• property-led schemes
• move towards 21st century sustainable communities

Question 28

What is gentrification

Answer 28

• process of housing improvement
• change in neighbourhood
• low-income people are replaced by more affluent people
• different from other schemes as it is led by individuals
• rehabilitation of old houses and streets

Question 29

What is a property-led scheme

Answer 29

• in movement by people as part of large scale investment programmes aimed at urban regeneration in a wider social, economic and physical sense

Question 30

What is the move towards 21st century sustainable communities

Answer 30

• allowing individuals and communities who live in a city centre to have access to a home, a job, and a reliable income.

Question 31

Positive impacts of gentrification

Answer 31

• social mix of the area has changed
• physical and built environment is improved
• refurbishment means jobs is created
• increase in number of bars

Question 32

Negative impacts of gentrification

Answer 32

• local people on low incomes find it difficult to purchase the new houses
• friction occurs between newcomers and old residents
• locals may only be employed in low paid jobs