urban futures Flashcards
1
Q
What is urbanisation?
A
- The growth in the proportion of a country’s population living in urban areas
- more than 50% of the world’s population currently live in urban areas
2
Q
Describe the settlement hierarchy
A
- conurbation (top)
- city
- large town
- small town
- village
- hamlet
- isolated dweling or farm
3
Q
Describe ACs
A
- more economically developed
e.g. UK, Japan, Germany - urbanisation happened earlier in ACs
e.g. during the Industrial Revolution - slow rates of urban growth
- people desiring a better quality of life are moving away from overcrowded cities to rural areas
- good transport & communication networks means people can live in rural areas an commute to cities or work from home
4
Q
Describe LIDCs
A
- less economically developed
e.g. Ethiopia, Nepal - not many of the population live in urban areas
- fastest rates of urbanisation
5
Q
Describe EDCs
A
- economic development is increasing
e.g. Brazil, China, Russia
Percent of population living in urban areas varies
6
Q
Describe a megacity
A
- an urban area with over 10 million people living there
- can be a single city or a conurbation (where neighbouring towns and cities have spread and merged together)
7
Q
Describe a world city
A
- a city that has an influence over the whole world
- are centres for trade and businesses
- hubs of culture and science, with international media centres
8
Q
What are the characteristics of a world city?
A
- headquarters of multinational companies based in the city
- centre for innovation in business
- major centre for manufactering
- financial services; home of an important stock exchange or major banks
- regional importance compared with other cities
- highly rated unis, often specialising in research, link to a high quality of healthcare provision
- cultrual opportunities, including opera and cinema
9
Q
How has the number of megacities changed over time?
A
- in 1950 only 2 megacities : NY and Tokyo
- by 2014, 28 mega cities
- predicted 41 in 2030
10
Q
How has the number of world cities changed over time?
A
- 1950 only Paris, London, Tokyo and NY
- number of world cities has increased
11
Q
What is rural-urban migration?
A
- the movement of people from the countryside to the cities
- rapid urbanisation in LIDCs is being caused by a combination of push and pull factors
12
Q
What is a push factor?
A
- things that encourage people to leave an area
13
Q
What is a pull factor?
A
- things that encourage people to move to an area
14
Q
What are the push factors for rural-urban migration?
A
- natural disasters can damage property and farmland which people can’t afford to repair
- mechanisation of agricultural equipment - farms require fewer workers so there’s fewer job
- drought can make land unproductive so people can no longer support themselves
- conflict or war can cause people to flee their homes
15
Q
What are the pull factors for rural-urban migration?
A
- there are more jobs in urban areas that are often better paid
- access to better health care and education
- to join other family members
- better quality of life
16
Q
What is internal growth?
A
- when the birth rate is higher than the death right
17
Q
How does internal growth cause urbanisation?
A
- birth rate tends to be higher in cities because young people move to urban areas
- these people have children in the cities - increasing the urban population
- in LIDCs, better healthcare can be found in cities, meaning people living in urban areas live longer
- reducing death rates and increasing the proportion of people in urban areas
18
Q
What are the economic consequences of rapid urbanisation?
A
- not enough jobs for everyone, leading to high levels of unemployment
- lots of people work in the informal sector, where jobs aren’t taxed or regulated by the government
- people often work long hours in dangerous conditions for little pay
- may not have access to education so they are unable to develop skills needed to get a better job
19
Q
What are the social consequences of rapid urbanisation?
A
- aren’t enough houses for everyone - many people end up in squatter settlements that are badly built and overcrowded
- infrastructure can’t be built fast enough - people often don’t have access to basic services causing poor health
e.g. clean water, proper sewers or electricity - high levels of crime
20
Q
What are the environmental consequences of rapid urbanisation?
A
- waste disposal services, sewage systems and environmental regulations for factories can’t keep pace
- rubbish often isn’t collected or it may end up in big rubbish heaps
- can damage the environment
- sewage and toxic chemicals can get into rivers, harming wildlife
- the road system may not be able to cope with all the vehicles
- congestion causes increased greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution
21
Q
What is suburbanisation?
A
- the movement of people from city centres to the outskirts
22
Q
What are the push factors for suburbanisation?
A
- urban areas can be overcrowded, polluted, have high crime rates, little green space
- quality of life lower
- government often clear low quality city centre housing and provide new houses outside the city
e.g. 1950-1970 slum clearances in England - deindustrialisation in city centre leads to people having to leave cities in search of employment in new industrial areas
- unemployment increases, therefore less money to spend, so local shops and services may be forced to close
- fewer local services for people living in the city centre
23
Q
What are the pull factors for suburbanisation?
A
- lower population density in suburban areas - more open green space, safer, family friendly
- planning laws may be more relaxed, easier to build houses
- developers build new housing estates on the edges of urban areas, offering large modern houses with gardens
- improvements in public transport and increasing car ownership means people can live in suburbs and commute to work
- rents are cheaper, which attracts business
- jobs and services become available in suburbs, encouraging people to live there
24
Q
What are the economic consequences of suburbanisation?
A
- fewer people living in inner city areas, and part of cities that are mainly offices can be deserted after work hours
- shops, restaurants and other amenities may struggle for customers and close
- as businesses leave, unemployment increases
- leads to lower living standards and poverty
25
Q
What are the social consequences of suburbanisation?
A
- buildings in city centre are abandoned and may become derelict
- lead to city becoming rundown
- wealthier middle-class people may move to the suburbs where there is a better quality of life
- leaves poor people behind (foreign immigrants) which can lead to economic and ethnic segregation
26
Q
What are the environmental consequences of suburbanisation?
A
- new housing estates are built on open countryside, which affects wildlife habitats
- more ground is concreted over increasing surface run-off and risk of flooding
- people commuting in the city to work means number of cars on the road increases, causing congestion and air pollution
27
Q
What is counter urbanisation?
A
- the movement of people away from large urban areas to smaller settlements and rural areas
28
Q
What are the push factors for counter urbanisation?
A
- push factors from suburbanisation
- suburbs and city centres often have problems with congestion and parking
- housing in central urban areas and and suburbs is often expensive
- not getting value for money
29
Q
What are the pull factors for counter urbanisation?
A
- pull factors from suburbanisation
- houses in rural areas are often bigger and have more outside space
- improved communication services make it easier for people to work at home
- companies no longer need to be in a city centre, move to rural areas where land is cheaper; creates jobs
- increased car ownership and improved public transport means people can commute to work
30
Q
What are the social consequences of counter urbanisation?
A
- existing houses are improved however development can affect the character of rural settlements
- lead to the creation of commuter settlements - where people live in rural areas but continue to work in the city
- may force services in rural areas to close because of reduced demand (people spend most of their time away from the area at work)
- more demand for houses, so house prices increase
- younger people may not be able to afford to buy a house: population dominated by older people
- schools in rural areas may close if new residents are older people
- rural roads and infrastructure may struggle to cope with additional traffic
31
Q
What are the economic consequences of counter urbanisation?
A
- some services in rural areas see an increase in business
- newer residents are often professionals or retired people who have higher disposable incomes
- some rural shops and services may close as wealthier residents more likely to travel to use shops and services in urban areas
- farmers are able to make money by selling unwanted land or buildings for housing
32
Q
What are the environmental consequences of counter urbanisation?
A
- additional traffic cause an increase in air pollution and congestion
- new housing estates are often built on open countryside which affects wildlife habitats
33
Q
What is re-urbanisation?
A
- the movement of people back into urban areas
34
Q
What are the push factors of re-urbanisation?
A
- lack of jobs in some rural or suburban areas
- fewer leisure or entertainment facilities
- counter-urbanisation may cause high house prices
35
Q
What are the pull factors of re-urbanisation?
A
- movement of industry and businesses out of the cities as a result of deindustrialistion may leave land derelict
- government policies often favour redevelopment of brownfield sites over greenfield ; people are attracted back to city by new developments
- most unis are based in urban areas, young people move there or education and stay
- young people often want to live close to their work in areas with good entertainment services
e.g. notting hill in london - once re-urbanisation has started it tends to continue - as soon as a few business invest and people start to return, it encourages other businesses to invest
36
Q
What are the economic consequences of re-urbanisation?
A
- as people move back into the city, new shops and services open, boosts economy
- jobs created in new businesses may not be accessible to the original residents, people whom are unskilled or semi-skilled
- tourism in the city may increase - brings money into the city, spent on improving the area
37
Q
What are the social consequences of re-urbanisation?
A
- as shops and businesses return, jobs are created
- less unemployment, which can reduce crime like theft
- local state schools benefit from increased number of students
- however wealthier people send children to private schools or better performing schools away from city
- original residents are often on low incomes and may not be able to afford housing - move to cheaper areas of the city
- tension between original residents and new - crime and violence
- shops and services catering to newer wealthier residents replace shops and services targeted at original residents
38
Q
What are the environmental consequences of re-urbanisation?
A
- re-developing derelict brownfield sites in cities instead of greenfield protects countryside wildlife habitats
- some brownfield sites have been derelict for a long time, so redeveloping can destroy urban wildlife habitats
39
Q
Why is water an important factor for settlement?
A
- provides communication and opportunities for trade
- water supply and waste disposal
40
Q
What is an economic hub?
A
- place with lots of businesses/ TNCs
- focal point for trade
- have economic business beyond the hub itself
