Urban issues and challenges Flashcards
Urban
mostly influenced by people
What is urbanisation?
The proportion of the world’s population who live in cities.
How much of the world’s population is urbanised?
around 54% of the world’s population
How is the world’s popualtion changing?
- The world’s population is increasing
- Since the 1900s, the bigger the global population has become, the faster it has grown
- It took 300 years for the world’s population to double from half a billion to one billion
- It took 39 years to double from 3 billion to 6 billion
Where is it happening?
- LIC: starting to urbanise rapidly
- NEE: continuing to urbanise
- HIC: already urbanised (counter-urbanising also)
CONTINENT: - Oceania: a mix
- Africa: not very urbanised
- S.America: Quite urbanised
- N.America: Very urbanised
- Europe: Very (West) Somewhat (East)
- Asia: Urbanising rapidly
How does urbanisation vary around the world?
- The largest growth in urban population by 2050 will take place in India, China and Nigeria- NEE
- In most HICs, over 60% of the population live in cities
- In many LICs, more than 20% live in cities. In Africa, the average urban population is almost 40%
- In south and south-east Asia, around half the population live in towns and cities
What are the two main reasons why cities are getting bigger?
- natural increase
- rural-urban migration
Natural Increase definition
It is where the birth rate is higher than the death rate
Birth rate definition
The number of children born out of every 1000 per year
Death rate definition
The number of deaths per 1000 people per year
Where is natural increase higher?
In LICs and some NEEs
Why is natural increase higher in LICs and some NEEs?
- there are lots of young adults aged 18-35 (child-bearing age)
- improvements to health care have significantly lowered the death rate
Megacity definition
- Megacities are cities with a population of over 10 million
What are the three types of megacities?
Slow-growing, growing and rapid-growing
Features of slow-growing megacities
- no squatter settlements
Features of growing megacities
- under 20% in squatter settlemts
Rapid-growing
- over 20% in squatter settlements
Examples of slow-growing megacities
- Tokyo
- Los Angeles
(often in HICs)
Examples of growing megacities
- Beijing
- Rio de Janeiro
(often in NEEs)
Examples of rapid-growing megacities
- Jakarta (capital of Indonesia)
- Mumbai
(often in NEEs or LICs)
Rural-urban migration definition
It is the movement of people from the countryside into towns and cities
What is rural-urbal migration caused by?
-push and pull factors
Push factors definition
Reasons why people want to leave the countryside
Pull factors definition
Reasons why people are attracted to the city
Push factors
- farming is hard and poorly paid (a lot of people farm in rural areas)
- Farming is often at subsistence level,leaving nothing to sell
- Rural areas are isolated, often with few services
- poor quality schools/hospitals
- drought
- low-paying jobs
Pull factors
- a higher standard of living is possible
- there are better medical facilities
- there is a better chance of getting an education
- better job prospects
- public transport
Megacity number
As of 2015: 28 megacities
By 2050: 50 megacities
Where are most megacities?
- In Asia, especially China and India and they are also projected to make up most of the megacities in the future.
Brownfield site
Land
The impact of urban sprawl on the rural urban fringe and growth of megacities- London
Greenbelt land designated in 1947 at a risk of development
Now urban sprawl has shifted to commuter settlements outside the greenbelt
New housing estates and business parks encroach into surrounding countryside.
Favelas facts
- over 1000 in Rio
- on the edges of a city
- illegal settlements on non-owned land
- not just in Rio
HICs- urbanisation
- In most HICs, 60% of the population live in cities
LICs - urbanisation
- In many low-income countries, more than 20% live in cities.
- In Africa, the average urban population is almost 40%
S and SE Asia- urbanisaion
- around half of the population live in towns and cities
How is the UK population distributed
- the distribution is uneven
- a quarter of the urban dwellers live in London and the SE of England
- many highland regions are very sparsely populated- upland areas are remote and can experience harsh weather conditions.
What percentage of the UK population lives in urban areas?
82%
How did major cities grow?
- During the industrial revolution, major cities grew up near raw materials such as coal.
Why did Edinburgh, Belfast and Cardiff grow?
- Because they were capitals of Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales
Why did Birmingham grow?
- it’s location in the centre of the country was a factor in its growth as a centre of industrial innovation
Why did London develop?
- it was the UK Capital
- it developed because of its political and administrative functions
- now a global city and a financial centre.
Why did ports such as London, Liverpool and Bristol grow?
Because the UK was (and is) an important trading nation
How might the distribution of the UK population change?
- there has been a general shift towards London and SE England
- Immigrants generally settle in larger cities where there are more job opportunities
- In recent years, there has been a movement from urban to rural areas. Many older people choose to retire near the coast or in the country
