Theme 1 - 1.7 - Urbanisation Flashcards
Define urbanisation.
The process by which the proportion of a population living in or around towns and cities increases through migration and natural increase.
Define a millionaire city.
A city with over 1 million inhabitants.
Define a megacity.
A city with over 10 million inhabitants.
What percentage of the world lives in urban areas?
Over 50%
Compare urban growth in LICs, NICs and HICs.
LICs + NICs
• Rapid urban growth
HICs
• Urban population is decline in due to counterurbanisation
Describe the process of urbanisation throughout history.
- Rural society phase: Low levels of urbanisation + largely rural population of subsistence farmers
- Economic take-off: Rapid rural-to-urban migration leads to accelerating rate of urbanisation
- Maturing economy: Rates of urbanisation continue to rise and peak
- Mass urbanisation in most developed countries: Rate of urbanisation slows but achieves highest level
- Advanced economies: Counterurbanisation due to lifestyle reasons
Give some rural push factors (in urbanisation).
- Lack of employment -> Due to mechanisation
- Pressure on land (e.g. small division per son)
- Some families don’t own any land
- Starvation -> Crop failure, etc.
- Limited agricultural produce due to soil erosion, etc.
- Extreme physical conditions -> Mountains, heat, etc.
- Farming is strenuous with little pay
- Local communities may be forced to move (e.g. Amazon Ameridians)
- Lack of services
- Lack of government investment
Give some urban pull factors (in urbanisation).
- Better paid jobs
- Better housing and quality of life
- Better services and education
- People attracted to “bright lights”
- More reliable food sources
Compare and explain rural and urban populations in LICs.
Rural populations are ageing, whereas urban populations tend to be youthful. This is due to rural-to-urban migration, in which mostly youth adults move.
Explain the chain effect of urbanisation in terms of population change.
- Mostly young adults move from rural to urban areas.
- This makes the urban population more youthful and the rural population more ageing.
- This increases the urban birth rate and lowers the urban death rate, further increasing the population size.
- It also decreases the rural birth rate and lowers the rural birth rate, further decreasing the population size.
Describe the impacts of urban growth on urban areas.
- Pressure on housing -> People forced to live in poor housing
- Crime -> Increasing rates of crime, violence and drug-trafficking.
- Traffic
- Pollution
- Pressure on services
- Unemployment and underemployment
- Segregation -> Between rich and poor
- Lower dependency ratio
Describe the impacts of urban growth on rural areas.
- Money is sent back to families from cities
- Services can be improved with money sent back
- Increased dependency ratio
- Children and elderly have to work instead of young adults
What are some strategies to reduce the negative impacts of urbanisation?
- Create more jobs in rural areas so that people do not need to leave
- Legalise squatter settlements and give residents security
- Provide more running water and sanitation in both rural and urban areas
- Provide loans and subsidies for people to improve their homes
What are squatter settlements?
Illegal settlements, in which the residents have no legal rights.
What are the characteristics of squatter settlements?
- Buildings made from any available materials
- Lack access to running water, sanitation, gas or electricity
- Housing density is high
