Section A: Urban Issues and Challenges

Question 1

state the factors that affect the rate of urbanisation

Answer 1

• migration (push and pull theory)

- natural increase

Question 2

explain what is meant by natural increase

Answer 2

occurs when the birth rate is higher than the death rate, increasing population.

Question 3

state some push factors

Answer 3

• low wages and few job opportunities
• limited access to services such as healthcare and education
• conflict and war
• famine and crop failure due to natural disasters

Question 4

state some pull factors

Answer 4

• high wages and more job opportunities
• better access to healthcare and education
• improved standard of living
• more entertainment

Question 5

describe the location of Rio.

Answer 5

located in the south east of brazil on the Atlantic coast, with most of the city built around Guanabara Bay

Question 6

describe the importance of the city regionally

Answer 6

• important in its provision of schools, universities and hospitals as well as many opportunities for employment and recreation
• thriving arts and cultural scene in Rio

Question 7

describe the importance of the city nationally

Answer 7

• Brazil’s oil, mining and telecommunications companies have their HQ in Rio
• the port of Rio is important for exports of coffee, sugar and iron ore

Question 8

describe the importance of the city internationally.

Answer 8

• Rio hosted the 2016 Olympics and the football world cup

- it is an international centre for industry and finance

Question 9

explain the causes of growth in Rio

Answer 9

• as Rio has grown into a major industrial, commercial and industrial centre, it has attracted large numbers of migrants from other parts of Brazil and abroad.
• the high rate of migration has resulted in a relatively youthful population in Rio which has resulted in a relatively high birth rate.

Question 10

describe how urban growth has created opportunities in Rio.

Answer 10

social opportunities:

• vulnerable people such as the elderly and young children have greater access to vaccinations and emergency care
• it has many primary and secondary schools which offer better education than parts of rural brazil
• there are several universities offering tertiary education and training

economic opportunities:

• many manufacturing industries have attracted migrant labour and economic investment
• the port activates dominated by the export of sugar, coffee and iron ore provide employment.

Question 11

describe how urban growth has created challenges in Rio.

Answer 11

managing urban growth: squatter settlements

• health: due to the high population density, diseases can spread very rapidly and infant mortality rates are very high
• employment: rates are very high and wages are low
• crime: crime rates are high, with violent crime and drugs being widespread problems

providing clean water and sanitation:

• one third of piped water is lost through leaks and illegal tapping
• many people have no access to flush toilets

access to services:

• education for all children in Brazil is compulsory for all children aged 6 to 14
• children are required to work to support their family’s low income.

reducing unemployment and crime:

• crime rates are high, particularly those involving drugs, vandalism and theft
• people working in the informal sector do not pay taxes, however they do not receive any unemployment benefits.

Question 12

describe an example of how urban planning is improving the quality of life for the urban poor

Answer 12

favela bairro project:
a government plan to improve and upgrade the quality of life in the favelas. involves providing people with:
- materials and skills to improve their houses
- roads
- electricity, water and sanitation

the scheme includes:

• rehousing people in new basic housing
• provide programmes for youths to stop getting into crime

costs:
- expensive and infrastructure needs constant maintenance and people need training in constructional skills.

Question 13

describe the location of London

Answer 13

south east of england, located on the river thames which has been influential in its growth

Question 14

describe the importance of London in the UK and wider world

Answer 14

tourism: one of the most visited cities in the world
cultural diversity: over two million londoners do not speak english at home
green space: 65% of London’s land is either gardens, public green space or water
jobs: 800,000 people commute to London to work everyday

Question 15

describe the impacts of national and international migration on the growth and character of the city

Answer 15

national: people move from other parts of the UK to the city in search for a job. This has created expansion of the city and demand for more housing and services in the capital

international:

• architecture of certain areas and cultural restaurants and shops: china town
• many international food supermarkets such as polish shops
• brings various cultural festivals like chinese new year

Question 16

describe how urban change has created opportunities

Answer 16

social and economic opportunities:

• cultural mix
• entertainment: a number of important weekly football games take place in the Emirates Stadium
• integrated transport systems: passengers can switch from one to the other very easily using an oyster card

environmental:

• urban greening: London offers a huge range of green spaces to the public
• using canals, rivers and river jetties as significant water bird breeding roots

Question 17

describe how urban change has created challenges

Answer 17

social and economic:

• urban deprivation: standard of living below that of the majority of in a particular society that involves hardships and a lack of access to resources
• it is particularly hard for the poorest people to have a decent standard of living because the price of many things are more expensive
• inequalities in education: many children in deprived areas leave school without basic qualifications leading t low incomes and high unemployment
• inequalities in health: drinking, smoking are more common in deprived areas. people in wealthy areas tend to live longer than those in poorer areas.

environmental:

• dereliction: urban decline is the deterioration of the inner city often caused by lack of investment and maintenance. derelict buildings are targets for graffiti and vandalism and quickly becomes run down
• building on brownfield and greenfield sites.

Question 18

state some advantages of building on greenfield sites

Answer 18

• there is no need to clean up the site from previous land uses therefore can work out cheaper
• planners and architects have a blank canvas to work with

Question 19

state some advantages of building on brownfield sites

Answer 19

• more sustainable as existing developed land is being used

- easier to gain planning permission as councils are keen to reuse brownfield sites

Question 20

explain the impact of urban sprawl on the rural-urban fringe, and the growth of commuter settlements

Answer 20

urban sprawl is the unplanned growth of urban areas into the surrounding countryside. it can have many impacts on the rural-urban fringe:

• increased traffic: extra people in these areas means that cars are used more often which leads to more traffic
• environmental issues: sprawling cities consume land, and this displaces animals from their habitats
• health issues: people in these areas often have to commute to work which means they often travel by car and can cause high blood pressure

commuter settlements are places where most of the population leave the town each day to work elsewhere which can cause challenges:

• new housing developments can affect the character of rural settlements and damage the environment
• demand for housing increases house prices and locals may not be able to afford to stay

Question 21

state an example of an urban regeneration project to show:

• reasons why the area needed regeneration
• the main features of the project

Answer 21

shoreditch/stratford:

urban regeneration is the whole sale improvement of buildings and infrastructure of an area. the Olympics athletes’ village was converted to a new housing area in London.

they needed regeneration because:

• a lot of abandoned old industrial sites
• low achievement at school in terms of GCSE
• lower household incomes than the London average

main features - pros:

• almost 40% of these homes will be affordable
• a new school opened in the grounds of the park which will cover all levels of education
• tube station to help connect the area of the rest of London

main features - cons:

• during the construction for the Olympics, very few jobs were created for local people and there is still high levels of unemployment
• many people in the boroughs surrounding the park still live in poverty
• the total bill for the Olympics was £5 billion over budget
• rents and property prices have gone up as a result of the Games

Question 22

describe the features of a sustainable living: water conservation

Answer 22

BedZED: located on south east of england

• water conservation: involves the preservation, control and development of water resources: aims to cut water use through the use of water saving appliances (lower volume baths) and also recycling water and harvesting rainwater

Question 23

describe the features of a sustainable living: energy conservation

Answer 23

• energy conservation: involves reducing the use of fossil fuels to save resources and reduce greenhouse gas emissions: constructed insulated buildings made from thermally massive materials which store heat during warm conditions

Question 24

describe the features of a sustainable living: waste recycling

Answer 24

• reduces landfill waste as well as the need for new resources to make new items: recycling bins in every home and where possible, buildings are made from natural, recycled or reclaimed materials

Question 25

describe the features of a sustainable living: creating urban green space

Answer 25

• improves air quality and reduces flooding by increasing rainwater absorption as well as providing a place for exercise and relaxation: green transport plan which promotes walking, cycling and the use of public transport

Question 26

describe how urban transport strategies are used to reduce traffic congestion

Answer 26

• congestion charges, higher parking fees may encourage people to use public transport instead of cars
• creating fast, efficient and reliable services, including designated bus lanes will encourage people to use public transport over cars