Mega Cities Flashcards
What is the nature of megacities(4)
- large agglomerations of at least 10 million inhabitants
- a city which dominates the trade and financial flows of its area (the city’s hinterland)
- result of rapid urbanization
- Over urbanization
What is an Agglomeration
A mass grouping that extends the city boundary to include suburbs directly connected to the city centre
What are the main reasons for growth (7)
Internal step migration
- The mechanization/ transformation of rural areas
- opportunities of employment
- the cultural role of these cities
- rapid population growth within the cities (mostly young couples)
- government policies
- Industrialization
- Economic restructuring ( agriculture -> manufacturing
Natural Increase
- More births than deaths (improvement of healthcare)
- Annual growth rate of 6.7% Karachi
Rural - urban migration push factors (5)
- Famine
- War
- Poverty
- landlessness through fragmentation
- Loss of job (mechanisation)
Rural - urban Pull factors(6)
- Employment opportunities
- Entertainment “bright lights”
- Education
- Livability
- Infrastructure (health)
- High cultural roles
Example of Push factor to urban areas
2012 Nigeria floods destroyed food crops and farmers had to move to Lagos for new employment
Pull factors - employment
Mega-cities are major centres for manufacturing industries, service, information, trade and wealth accumulation and thus generate resources and jobs.
What is over urbanization
Occurs when large cities cannot provide enough jobs or raise enough revenue (tax) to provide the services that people need
Reasons for over urbanisation
Rapid urbanisation due to migration and high birth rates, and the city’s lack of economic power to provide enough resources (housing, employment) to sustain the large population
In the developing world
- 1/2 the population is under 15 (high birth rates)
- Expansion of agri - business (cash cropping)
- Less manufacturing jobs
Impact of over urbanisation (5)
- increase in the informal sector (70% of employment in the developing world, labor intensive) e.g. beggars, prostitutes, shoe polishers
- less money for public purse and infrastructure
- informal housing (slums, favelas)
- stress on transport (traffic congestion)
- Stress on healthcare professionals
- increase polarisation between advantage and disadvantage
Characteristics of Mega Cities (9)
- Negatively impacts the environment (impacted most significantly by climate change)
- Poor built environment
- large economic hub for the regional area (manufacturing)
- Large informal economy
- Traffic congestion
- Rapid Growth
- Overurbanisation
- Slums/ informal housing
- Disease (due to poorer healthcare system and tropical location)
Characteristics of Mega Cities - Negatively impacts the environment (3)
- Responsible for 70% of the world’s carbon emissions
- 2-3 degrees warmer in cities than surrounding area - heat island effect which contributes to climate change as it increases the demand for air conditioning increasing air pollution levels
- Don’t implement sustainable practices -Drain of natural resources (fossil fuels) contributing to environmental degradation
Characteristics of Mega Cities - Poor build environment
- Overurbanization due to the lack of jobs and public facilities to accommodate the population
- Slums/ favellas - created due to the overurbanisation e.g. Rochina
- high population density
- Large polarization of wealth
- Dirty streetscape due to lack of government spending (large informal economy)
- traffic congestion due to lack of public infrastructure (roads, transport)
Characteristics of Mega Cities - Economic Hubs
- Large manufacturing hubs
- Colonial hubs (Phillipines, south africa)
- Large informal sector
- Mega cities account for 15% of global GDP –> will rise to 20% by 2030
- Performs both national and international functions, high order services e.g. gov, banking, insurance, finance
Characteristics of Mega Cities - rapid Growth
- Leads to great pressure on infrastructure/ resources of the citiy
- Social disintegration and urban poverty
- Unsustainable growth rates 2-3% annually
- Population of mega cities contains 13% of the world’s urban dwellers
- Dehi expanded over 40% in the last 10 years. Nigeria and Lagos increased over 48%
- 750, 000 people a day are leaving rural areas to live in cities
