Urban Issues & Challenges Flashcards
Urbanisation
- definition
- factors affecting the rate of urbanisation
The process by which an increasing percentage of a country’s population comes to live in towns and cities
Main factors affecting the rate of urbanisation are:
Speed of economic development
* Economic growth drives urbanisation
* The faster the growth of secondary and tertiaryemployment sectors, the faster the growth of urbanisation
Rate of population growth
* Economic growth needs a supply of labour
* This demand can be met in two ways:
* Natural increase in an urban population: A slow way of meeting demand
* Rural-urban migration: This is the more important source of labour as it attracts a wider pool of people into the urban region
Natural increase
* Accounts for roughly 60% of urban population growt
* Due to decreased death rates and higher birth rates
Push-pull factors
Push factors:
* unemployment
* inaccessibility
* civil war
* crime rate
* poverty
* divorce
* ill health
* retirement
Pull factors:
* family ties
* marriage
* employment
* education
* higher wages
* no hazards
Megacities and World cities
Megacities
* Megacities are urban areas with over 10 million residents
* This scaling up of the urban environment is the fastest in human history
* Largest growth of megacities is seen in Asia
World cities
* Megacities have a powerful attraction for people and businesses
* World or global cities can be any size but exert particular influences around the globe
* They are considered prestigious, with status and power
* They are critical hubs in the global economy
* The three top (alpha) world cities are London, New York, and Tokyo
Oppurtunities & Challenges of Urban growth
Opportunities :
* The growth of urban industrial areas which increases further economic development
* increases job opportunities and higher wages
* Better access to services such as education, healthcare, and the internet
* Access to resources such as clean water, sanitation and electricity
* Improved living conditions with a safer environment through street lighting and policing
Challenges:
* squatter settlements unplanned and unregulated housing (informal settlements)
* Air pollution from burning fossil fuels, factories and car exhausts
* Sewage and toxic chemical pollution of waterways
* Congestion on poorly managed/planned road systems
* Lack of public transport
* Lack of qualified doctors, teachers etc.
* High levels of unemployment and crime
* Informal employment and child exploitation
Case Study - Lagos, Nigeria
- background
*
BACKGROUND
* Nigeria is an oil-rich nation and is predicted to be one of the largest economies in the world
* Abuja is capital
* Lagos has the fourth-highest GDP in the whole of the African continent
* 1950s when oil was discovered in the Niger Delta, which attracted thousands of people to the city to work
* 21 million population
OPPORTUNITIES
* 40% of childen is rural areas dont attend school attracting families
* more education means more chance of finding a job
* life expectancy is 53
* with the main export being oil
* fashion and film industry increasing
* more access to water and power
CHALLENGES:
* Rapid urbanisation has led to large informal or squatter settlements being built such as Makoko
* 75% of families live in cramped conditions which can spread disease
* Drinking water in Lagos often contains bacteria or chemical pollutants that lead to diarrhoea
* Water leakages and theft are common
* ** Limited number of doctors** and nurses and pay is poor
Management of challenges
* Sustainable urban development:* Through improving residents lives now without destroying opportunities and the environment for later generations
* Residents are encouraged to use public transport or car share to reduce congestion and air pollution
* Alternative transport options such as rail are being created
* Improved education allows for better job prospects
* A grant was awarded to build a floating school in Makoko, which is able to take up to 300 children
* The Makoko Regeneration Group gives residents a voice in what happens within their community
Why is the population distribution of the UK so uneven?
- historical factors
- economic opportunities
*social
HISTORY:
large industrial cities in the 18th and 19th century like london and manchester became centres of economic activity so may people migrated from rural areas for job opportunities.
ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES:
places like london will attract large populations due to abundance of job opportunities
places with better infrastructure and educationa and healthcare facilities is more attractive.
SOCIAL
london is the cultural capital of the uk and naturally draws a big population.
Population within cities
A central core:
the oldest part of a city with features such as:
* Low residential population
* The central business district (CBD) e.g. banks, retail and commercial offices
* Multi-storey development, with vertical growth rather than horizontal due to lack of space
An inner-city zone:
Older, compact, terraced ‘worker’ housing to support a growing population density
Surrounded by older industrial areas
A suburban zone:
residential area:
Emergence of segregated residential zones based on wealth, ethnicity, choice or government policy (e.g. social housing)
Semi and detached housing with gardens
Smaller retail premises
An urban fringe:
outer edges of the city:
Housing is clustered into estates, which increases ‘spot’ density
Countryside is eroded through the urban spread/sprawl
Some industrial land uses
Accessibility is best
Impacts of National & International Migration
- The UK’s economic development was the largest impact on the population density
- Prior to the 18th century the majority of UK residents lived in rural areas, relying on agriculture as their main form of employment
- During the 19th century the **industrial revolution saw a rapid rise **in the number of people concentrated in cities as they migrated from the rural regions **seeking employment in the better paying secondary sector **
Positive and Negative Effects of Migration
POSITIVES:
* Skills gaps are filled
* Culture is enriched
* Birth rates are boosted
* More low-wage workers
* Support family in country of origin through remittances
* Government tax revenue increases
* Education opportunities as universities are found in UK cities
NEGATIVES:
* Pressure on services, housing and infrastructure
* Discrimination and racial tensions (immigrant seen as stealing jobs)
* Overcrowding and congestion
* Job competition
* Language barriers and cultural assimilation
* Gender imbalance - more men tend to migrate than women
Challenges of Urban Change
- Low Quality of Life
- Food, health, education and housing
- Getting food for the million plus inhabitants is difficult and food is often imported from other countries
- Transportation costs add to the price the consumer has to pay
- This also increases the carbon footprint of the city
-
Energy:
As population grows, so does the demands of energy hungry appliances, energy security is becoming an issue -
Transport
congestion due to large population
Urban sprawl
- issues
- what is it
- ways to stop it
Urban growth if left unchecked leads to urban sprawl
Issues include:
* Loss of farmland to build new homes
* Impact on ecosystems: Natural and built (removal of trees increases pollution levels etc.)
* Loss of rural way of life and character of the countryside
* Loss of traditional ‘green spaces’: School fields, parks etc are being built on
COMBAT:
* Some urban areas have a planned and protected greenbelt on which no development is allowed, but urban areas still need to grow
Advantages and Disadvantages of Greenfield and Brownfield Sites
BROWNFIELD
advantages:
* Helps revive old and disused urban areas
* Reduces the loss of countryside for agricultural or recreational use
* Services such as water, electricity, and sewage, are already in place
disadvantages:
* more expensive because old buildings must be cleared, and land made free of pollution
* rundown areas so does not appeal to more wealthy people
GREENFIELD
advantages:
* Healthier environment
* Close to the countryside, leisure, and recreation
* The layout is not restricted by the existing layout
disadvantages:
* Valuable farmland lost
* Encourages further suburban sprawl
* Wildlife and habitats lost or disturbed
CASE STUDY
