Contemporary Urbanisation Processes Flashcards
What is urbanisation
The process by which and increasing proportion of an areas, region’s or country’s population lives in towns or cities
What are the causes of urban growth
1) natural population growth
2) rural-urban migration
Push factors of rural-urban migration
1) population growth- pressure on land
2) agricultural problems- desertification
3) local disease
4) land converting to cash crops
5) natural disease
6) wars
Pull factors of rural-urban migration
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
Characteristics of squatter settlements
- land not suitable for building on e.g. To steep
- close to city centre
- or on the edge of a city centre -abandoned farmland
Regional names for squatter settlements
- Barrio’s
- favelas
- busters
What are the characteristics that effect whether they are slums of despair or hope
- their age: legal tenure
- employment opportunities: jobs in the formal sector
- provision of services: education improved, employment potential
- city Authority Regeneration schemes
Slums of despair
High unemployment
Poorly built housing
Poor water supply and sewage
Dwellings built from waste materials
Slums of hope
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
Definition of the brown agenda
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
2 key elements of the brown agenda
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
Key characteristics of the brown agenda
Low income groups suffer the most
Water is contaminated by sewage
City managers have to tackle the problems with insufficient funds
Definition of suburbanisation
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.
Cause and process of urbanisation
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
Reasons for increase in demand of housing in the uk
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
Solutions to the demand for housing in the uk
Increasing the number of people living in homes that already exist- using empty houses
Building new houses on brownfield sites
Positive impacts of suburbanisation on the inner city
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
Negative impact of suburbanisation in the inner city
Decline of inner city areas- more mobile people
Spiral of decline
Communities are split up
Main features of greenfield sites
- 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
Main features of of brownfield sites
- derelict sites in urban areas
- land is available but can be costly to reclaim
- Housing is likely to be higher density
Define counter-urbanisation
- this is the movement of people from urban areas to smaller urban settlements and rural areas beyond the built up area
What are the causes of counter-urbanisation
- 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
How does counter-urbanisation affect the layout of rural settlements
- 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
What is the evidence for counter-urbanisation
- increase in the use of a commuter railway station
- increased value of housing
- construction of more executive housing
- conversions of former farm buildings
