Urban issues and challenges

Question 1

Define urbanisation

Answer 1

Urbanisation is the growth in the proportion of people living in urban areas.

Question 2

Why is urbanisation happening more rapidly in LICs than HICs?

Answer 2

HICs are more economically developed, eg. UK and Japan. Most HICs have already experienced urbanisation, so around 80% of population live in urban areas. Many people in HICs leave urban areas for less crowded, rural areas, so the rate of urbanisation is low - usually under 1%.
LICs are less economically developed, eg. Ethiopia and Afghanistan. Only around 30% of the population currently live in urban areas, but most LICs have high rates of urbanisation - up to 6%.

Question 3

Explain push-pull theory.

Answer 3

Rural-urban migration is the movement of people from the countryside to cities.

The rate of rural-urban migration is affected by a combination of push factors (which encourage people to leave an area) and pull factors (which encourage people to move to an area).

Question 4

Give one economic push factor.

Answer 4

Mechanised agricultural equipment needs fewer workers, therefore fewer jobs.

Desertification makes land unproductive so people can’t support themselves. Farmers’ income is unstable as it depends on good harvests.

Question 5

Give one social pull factor.

Answer 5

There’s access to better healthcare and educational opportunities.
Other family members might have already moved to an urban area.
People think theu will have a better quality of life.

Question 6

How does natural increase affect urbanisation rates?

Answer 6

The natural increase is when the birth rate exceeds the death rate. As more people are being born than are dying, the population grows. It’s normally young people that move to cities to find work. These migrants then have children, increasing the proportion of the population living in urban areas. Access to better healthcare in urban areas increases life expectancy, preventing the decline of urban populations.

Question 7

What is a megacity?

Answer 7

A megacity is an urban area with more than 10 million residents, eg. Mumbai, India.

Question 8

Where is your case study of a major city in an LIC located?

Answer 8

RIO de JANERIO
Coast of Brazil.

Question 9

Where is your case study of a major city in an HIC located?

Answer 9

Bristol
South West of the Uk

Question 10

For your case study of a major city in an LIC, give two of the economic opportunities created by urban growth.

Answer 10

Rio de Janerio

Question 11

For your case study of a major city in an HIC, give two of the economic opportunities created by urban growth.

Answer 11

Buisness owners to set up store in the temple quater. The Intergrated Transport System (ITS).

Question 12

For your case study of a major city in an LIC, give two of the challenges caused by urban growth.

Answer 12

Rio de Janerio

Question 13

For your case study of a major city in an NEE, give two of the challenges caused by urban growth.

Answer 13

NIGERIA

Question 14

For your example of how urban planning is improving quality of life for the urban poor, outline one of the features of the urban planning strategy.

Answer 14

Rio de Janerio

Question 15

Describe the population distribution in the UK.

Answer 15

It is very uneven. The relief affects where most people live. Most cities are in Lowland reas with good access to natural resources. Many of the major cities have developed conurbations - towns that have merged to form continuous urban areas. These have the highest population density.

Question 16

Give three reasons to explain the UKs population distribution.

Answer 16

**Upland regions **such as the north of Scotland are sparsely-populated - they are difficult o farm and have few natural resources.

Many coastal areas have attracted human settlement - esp where are are sheltered bays and river estuaries suitable for building harbours. Key ports (eg. Liverpool, Cardiff) have grown into major cities.

Mineral wealth (esp coal, iron ore) has often led to rapid population growth because this is where industries have grown. Many of the UK’s cities developed on major coalfields, eg. Newcastle, Leeds.

London is the UK’s biggest city - around 9 million people - about 15% of the UK’s total population. It is the nationals capital and has many industries, eg. it is a global financial centre.

Most uban areas developed in lowland areas - easier to build on and a milder climate than upland areas.
eg. Birmingham.

Question 17

Describe how you could identify the CBD on a map.

CBD - Central Business District

Answer 17

The CBD is usually in the middle of a city. Most ammenities and services are found here. The CBD is often surrounded by a ring road.

Question 18

For your case study of a major city in the UK, explain how migration has affected the character of the city.

Bristol

Answer 18

Bristol

Question 19

For your case study of a major city in the UK, outline the city’s importance in the UK.

Bristol

Answer 19

Bristol

Question 20

For your case study of a major city in the UK, give two of the challenges created by urban change.

Bristol

Answer 20

Urban Deprivation - the degree to which a community is deprived of amenities and services.
Deprived communities have high population density, congested roads, few parks and shops, high unemployment and crime rates.
2021 Census
31.8% of housholds are deprived in one dimension
15.6% of the population lives in some of the most deprived areas of Bristol.
Inequalities in Housing
Demand for housing has seen house prices rise significantly between 2010 and 2023.
2010 - average house price £168 050
2023 - average house price £356 686
Estimated 1972 people homeless in the city in 2021.
High number of students with two universities puts increased pressure on housing, esp rental.
Inequalities in Education
2021 Census - Bristol is one of England and Wales most highly qualified areas. Data hides the inequality. Deprived areas such as Highridge, Withywood and Hartcliffe have very low attainment rates.
Inequalities in Health
Disparities in wealth across the city. Pooe areas like Hartcliffe, Withywood record higher levels of poor health and life expectancy and increased incident of premature death. Also struggle with obesity and smoking rates. More affluent areas like Clifton and Redland enjoy better health conditions, life expectancy.
Inequalities in Employment
2022 - Bristol’s employmnet rate was 82.5% - 5th highest of all UK cities. Significant inequalities with high levels of unemployment in the south of the city and close to the centre. Areas with low educational attainment typically have higher level of unemployment such as Highridge, Withywood and Hartcliffe.

Question 21

For your case study of a major city in the UK, give two of the opportunities created by urban change.

Bristol

Answer 21

Migration of skilled youthful entrepreneurs from other areas of the UK and abroad to the city.
**Local universities **and the skilled, educated graduate workforce conduct research and development.
**Extensive urban regeneration **has transformed derelict industrial buildings and transformed brownfield sites.
Four hundred new companies have moved into Bristol’s Temple Quarter Enterprise Zone - home to various high-tech and creative businesses.
Hotspot for micro-electronic and silicon design businesses, companies like Aardman Animations, Hewlett-Packard and Toshiba.
A new superfast broadband infrastructure.
£100 million government grant establishing Bristol as a SuperConnected City with broadband download speeds of at least 80Mbps.
Bristol’s cultural heritage and “green” credentials.

Question 22

What are commuter settlements?

Answer 22

Commuter settlements are places in the rural-urban fringe where the majority of the population leaves the town each day to work elsewhere.

Question 23

Name your example of a UK urban regeneration project.
Say why the project was needed.

Bristol

Answer 23

Temple Quarter - around the railway station in Bristol.

Question 24

What does sustainable urban living mean?

Answer 24

Sustainable living means living ina way that lets people meet their needs now, without reducing the ability to meet their needs in the future.

Question 25

How can creating green space help to make cities more sustainable?

Answer 25

Environmental benefits
- reduce air pollution by creating pockets of clean air.
- risk of flooding reduced by reducing surface runoff when it rains.
** Social benefits**
- ensure that they remain places where people want to live and work.
- provide naturally cooler areas where people can relax in very hot weather.
- encourage people to exercise more and to use alternaive transport.
- make people feel happier by providing a break from the noise and bustle of the city.

Question 26

How can public transport help to reduce traffic congestion in urban areas?

Answer 26

Good public transport links, encourages people to use these alternatives rather than the car. Hence less traffic on the road.
Examples of public transport strategies in London
- Docklands Light Railway - mostly on tracks above street level. Used by around 120 million - connects East London to the city centre.
- Underground.
- Self-service bicycles - cheaper than public transport to hire and bike lanes.
- Electronic oyster cards - quick and easy to use.