Exam 3 - Population & Urbanization Flashcards
Urban/Rural Relationship
Major cities existed at time of conquest
–EX: Tenochtitlan – a city larger than the largest European city at the time
•Cultural importance of urbanism inherited from the Roman empire – established in the Americas as part of the Conquest
•Urban priority led to a persistent pattern of underdevelopment
–Rural existed to serve the urban—serfdom of peasantry to urban aristocracy
•City controlled extended rural area around them instead of having a “city limit” like North American cities
–Cities existed in virtual isolation – distance combined with topography – therefore, limited political and economic integration
Development of colonial cities can be classified by their function
–Agricultural cities – established amidst indigenous populations—purpose of supplying food to region (Cuzco, Bogotá)
–Mining cities – purpose was provision of laborers & supplies to mines—topography=densely settled; narrow, winding streets (Potosi, Zacatecas, Guanajuato)
–Industrial cities – royal monopolies or subsidies made cities specialize (Puebla—ceramics)
–Commercial cities – location at key transportation points, like ports (Havana, Veracruz, Cartagena, Panama City) or overland (Mendoza, Monterrey) – also often function as Strategic Cities (forts protected Spanish flotas)
–Administrative cities – often became primate cities (Mexico City & Lima); secondary administrative cities doubled as ag, industrial or commercial settlements (Buenos Aires, Asuncion, Santiago, Chile)
•Church/state relationship=admin capitals also centers of ecclesiastical/education—monopolize resources
•Cities developed identifiable personalities—Veracruz, MX (liberal, easy-going), Xalapa, MX (conservative, administrative
Contrasts in unplanned cities with medieval urban form and planned cities with grid pattern
–Heart of city—plaza mayor, zocalo
–Most prestigious residences near plaza mayor
•Industries, urbanized indigenous, ejidos on edge of town
–Architectural patterns modeled on southern Spain—central courtyard
•Portuguese urbanism differed from Spanish—rural estates more popular
–Picturesque confusion—no master plan
•Hilly, elevated site overlooking Atlantic
•Two-tiered design—lower (port, mkt, lower class housing) & upper (admin, church, elite housing)
•Linear settlement along coast–polynuclear
•Landscaped public walk/mall
•Rural settlements—autonomous indigenous areas—tierras de resguardo—preserved way of life
–Mimicked plan of Spanish towns
–Hybridized place names
•San Gabriel Ometoxtla
Spatially & socioeconomically distinct land use patterns
–Mix—old inner city residential elite with CBD
–Spine—new upper-class commercial & residential
–Suburban retail mall, or edge city
–Industrial park—factories/warehouses
–Periferico—rapid transit perimeter road
–3 Concentric zones of landuse
•Zone of maturity
–Change to vecindades
•Zone of in-situ accretion
•Outer ring—squatter settlements
Low population density in the region overall, but very high population density in cities
–Typical large city has 3000-10,000/sq km; contrast to North American cities which have about 100-800/sq km
Primacy
Primacy – a situation in which one city in a country is much larger than the next largest city
–EX: Mexico City with 25M population compared with Guadalajara with 6M population
–Both positive and negative points have been made about primacy
•Growth pole advocates argue that primate cities pull in resources that then “trickle down” to the surrounding areas
•Critics argue that primacy concentrates resources and power in one place and deprives smaller urban areas and rural areas in a country
types/functions of colonial cities
New cities have been founded in the 20th century
–Frontier cities and new capitals
•Examples:
–Brasilia – both a frontier city and new capital (or forward capital); founded as a ploy to get people to move into the interior of Brazil
–Belmopan – new capital founded after a hurricane hit Belize City
–In both cases, people still prefer the old cities and are reluctant to relocate to these new capitals
–Specialized commercial cities
•Beach resorts—Cancun & Huatulco, Mexico
–In founding Cancun, they literally flew over the coast looking for the best place to site a resort area
Urban Form
Population grew exponentially from second half of the 20th century (and continues to grow although the growth rate is declining)
–Population grew from 160M in 1950 to 430M in 1990
–Urban population was 59M in 1950 and grew to 306M by 1990
•Urbanization was fueled by ISI – investment was channeled to cities, starving the countryside of resources; artificially low agricultural prices added to the influx of migrants to cities
Uncontrolled and explosive urban growth accentuated urban problems
–Inadequate infrastructure (including transportation)
–Impossible demands on limited city budgets (draws money away from other parts of state, especially primate cities)
–Destruction of arable land due to sprawl
–Un-/under-employment – marginalized populations; crime by impoverished
–Occupation of unsuitable land for dense urban settlement (squatters)
Squatter Settlements: Characteristics, types and formation
Squatter settlements (shantytowns)—poor, lower-class populations erect makeshift housing on land to which they do not hold title
–Not “new,” but explosive growth since WW2
–Different responses by governments—destruction/acceptance
•EX. Argentina bulldozed squatter settlements before the World Cup was played there in the 1970s
•Other times governments actually buy the land for the squatters
–Misconceptions: they are spatially disorganized spaces that are socially ungoverned; erected by recent migrants; residents are unemployed/unproductive with criminal tendencies (popular image, but some are simply normal working class neighborhoods)
Types of squatter settlements
–Spontaneous – grow organically, little by little
–Planned – advanced site selection, preparation, organized invasion
•Types of planners involved in planned squatting
–High-level politician – a way to reward supporters by “handing over” a piece of land to them
–Land owner – wants better price from land – it can be worth more once it’s developed, plus governments will often buy it for the squatters
–Professional squatter – people that make their living selling plots they reserve during a land grab, also often paid for their “assistance”
Migration: Push,
Pull factors, interregional migration, displaced persons, international migration (in & outside of region), brain drain, remittances
Push-pull factors—reasons for migration (perceived or real)
–Push factors: economic reasons (lack of employment), political reasons (war, persecution), environmental reasons (destruction, climate change – drought, flood)
–Pull factors: economic (employment potential), political (freedom, safety), environmental reasons (better quality of life), other reasons (family already in a location)
•Interregional migration includes colonization of frontier areas, but mostly it’s rural-to-urban migration
–Traditionally male, but more women are now migrating
–Internally displaced persons—forced from home by conflict or human rights violations—not same status as refugees
•2.8M in Latin America (most in Colombia)
•International migration—across state borders
–Among Latin American countries—Argentina leads, Venezuela draws migrants with oil jobs, Central Americans to Mexico
–Outside of region—US leading recipient; colonial relationships with British, French, Dutch; Spain—recent increases, many women; Japan—descendents of contract laborers returning for economic reasons (300,000 Japanese Brazilians, 20,000 Japanese Peruvians living in Japan)
Brain drain – migration of highly educated, skilled professionals
–Extent difficult to measure
•EX. ½ of emigrants from Colombia have over 12 yrs of education
•Represents a “reverse aid program” – sending countries devote resources, but other places reap benefits
–US immigration policies encourage this type of migration
•Remittances – money sent back home by migrants
–Migration is a major source of revenue for sending locations
•Reduction in unemployment for sending countries
•Money sent back as remittances from international migration was more than $38B in 2003 in Latin America
–Significant portion of GNP in the region – actually exceeds combined flows of Foreign Direct Investment & Overseas Development Aid
