Urban Environments Flashcards
Urbanisation
A higher proportion of a countries population live in urban areas
Suburbanisation
The outward spread of an urban area, often at lower densities compared with older parts of a city, in response to uncomfortable conditions associated with (rapid) urbanisation- e.g noise, pollution, high house prices
Counter-urbanisation
The movement of people and employment from larger cities to smaller cities or rural areas
Re-urbanisation
After counter-urbanisation, urbanisation happens again and the cycle repeats
Trends of urbanisation
Urbanisation, suburbanisation, counter-urbanisation, re-urbanisation. More developed countries are more urbanised/ suburbanised.
Factors affecting rate of urbanisation
Natural increase, rural-urban migration.
Push- isolation; lack of community; lack of education
Pull- availability of infrastructure and resources (food, water, roads, hospitals); better jobs; better healthcare
Economic growth
Natural increase
As a country’s healthcare and contraceptive access increases (with development), death rate falls. This causes the birth rate to fall after, resulting in a higher birth rate than death rate. This increases a population, specifically if it is concentrated in an urban area it increases the urban population.
Rural to Urban migration
Rural populations move to urban areas due to push and pull factors.
Factors affecting rate of emergence of megacities
Economic development
Multiplier effect
Economies of scale
Population growth
Economic development effect of megacities
Important manufacturing/servicing centres
Encourages population growth, increases desirability of goods and services
Multiplier effect
As a city grows it acts as a beacon to people and businesses, encouraging investment, creating more development generating further highly skilled labour/jobs. This cycle repeats to have positive effects.
Population growth effect on megacities
Young people drawn to cities for their vibrancy/opportunities.
Economies of scale effect on megacities
It’s cheaper to provide goods/services in one place than to spread them out.
Financial savings for loc al governments due to infrastructure provisions.
Communication and transport are centralised, saving time and money.
Rapid urbanisation: congestion/housing
Lack of housing/infrastructure.
Migrants arrive with little money, leads to informal housing (unsafe, poor living conditions and unregulated). Hostility from government or developers, harshly regulated or left alone.
Housing is expensive and limited, so many families share rooms, giving landlords opportune ties to set high rent and bad conditions.
Inner city housing most desirable and expensive due to poor transport links.
Lack of running water and sanitation.
Prevalence of disease.
Lack of electricity leads to wood burning and stealing from neighbours- both dangerous.
Rapid urbanisation: transport
Lack of infrastructure (roads, police) lead to cramped/ dangerous roads and more accidents.
Public transport poor in quality, size and reliability.
Urban congestion varies with time of the week/day.
High congestion leads to air pollution- harmful for lungs.
Rapid urbanisation: crime
Concentrated in areas of high population densities, due to large scale unemployment.
Poorer areas experience gang threats and youth violence.
Rapid urbanisation: employment
Many people struggle to find jobs, leads to informal economy and unemployment.
Informal economy unregulated and dangerous.
Factories that do have jobs are too far away from shanty towns.
Exploitation from big companies.
Rapid urbanisation: environmental issues
Disposal of waste is a big issue, rubbish dumps usually just out of city limits.
Defecation in rivers spreads diseases.
Air pollution from traffic, water pollution from excess waste.
Water shortages/ poor water quality.
Noise, light and visual pollution (graffiti).
