Geography CUE: Urbanisation Flashcards
What is Urbanisation?
The increasing proportion of people that live in towns and cities and can be regional, national, continental or international.
What is Urban Growth?
An increase in the number of urban dwellers.
What is Urban Sprawl?
The spread of an urban area into the surrounding countryside. NOT THE POPULATION
Consequences of Urban Sprawl?
- More roads and infrastructure required such as pipes, cables and wires.
- Loss of wildlife habitat / farmland & open spaces.
- Air pollution increased - car dependent lifestyles
Consequences of Shortage of Housing: Shortage of Affordable Housing
- Rising demand for accommodation (UK) has meant that house prices have increased and rental costs soared.
- Gentrification - properties purchased by wealthy foreign investors.
Consequences of Shortage of Housing: Shortage of Quality Housing
- Shortage of accommodation = large areas of informal and inadequate housing on the edge of the city.
- Limited access to basic infrastructure and lack services.
Consequences of lack of urban services & waste disposal
- Lack of electricity and water services
- Limited maintenance of infrastructure such as roads, sewers and drainage.
- Rapid spread of disease
Consequences of employment
- Pressure to create sufficient jobs
- Migrants move to the city for work they can find
Consequences of traffic
- Increased traffic issues
- Congestion
- Pollution
- Unplanned cities
What is a Millionaire city?
More than 1 million inhabitants
What is a Megacity?
More than 10 million inhabitants
What is a Metacity?
More than 20 million inhabitants
What is a World City?
A city of influence on a global scale (mainly for financial / commercial reasons)
What are Characteristics of Megacities?
- Centres of innovation and education
- Urban Sprawl, edge cities, high density living
- Economy: dominate national and regional, GDP 2 or 3x other cities.
- Services provided on a large scale in an economically efficient manner.
What is Suburbanisation?
The movement of people from inner city areas towards the outer edge of the city. Also applies to economic activity.
What is Counter-urbanisation?
The movement of people from an urban area to rural or small urban areas (town or village)
What is Urban resurgence?
The ‘rebirth’ of urban areas through development or re-urbanisation
Factors leading to Deindustrialisation
- Change in government -> Margret Thatcher moved away from manufacturing industries.
- Reduced demand - for traditional produced
- Mechanisation - less need for labour
Factors leading to Decentralisation
- Inadequate (obsolete) / out dated buildings
- Competition for space
- Improved transport
- Increased costs -> price of raw materials
What is Deindustrialisation?
Long term decline of manufacturing and heavy industries, loss of jobs in the manufacturing sector. Occurred post-war (1945 onwards)
What is Decentralisation?
Movement / relocation of industries, offices and services from location in / bear the CBD to edge of city locations. occurred with the obsolescence of CBD locations.
Impacts of Deindustrialisation
(Economic)
- Loss of jobs and personal disposable income
- Loss of income in the service sector as a result of falling spending power of the local population
- Loss of tax income to the local authority and potential decline in services
Impacts of Deindustrialisation
(Social)
- Out-migration of population, usually those who are better qualified and more prosperous
- Higher levels of crime, family breakdown, alcohol and drug abuse and other social problems
- Increase in unemployment
Impacts of Deindustrialisation
(Environmental)
- Reduced maintenance of local housing caused by lower housing caused by lower personal and local authority income
- Deteriorating infrastructure
- Positive environment impacts have been reduced noise, land and water pollution and reduced traffic congestion
What is Urban Regeneration
