Urbanisation Flashcards
How is the population of urban areas changing?
1950: 30% lived in urban areas
2014: 50% lived in urban areas
How was the population of urban areas affected by the Industrial Revolution?
Many people moved to cities to work in mills and factories.
Give an example of urban population change.
In Beijing China population has increased by 16 million in 45 years.
What are the 4 processes that move people into and out of urban areas?
-Urbanisation
-Suburbanisation
-Counter-Urbanisation
-Urban resurgence
What is urbanisation?
The growth of people living in urban areas due to migration (rural to urban) for better schools and jobs.
Migrants are usually young.
How is urbanisation different in developing countries?
Can result in shanty towns and unplanned illegal settlements made out of any material available.
What is suburbanisation?
Migration of people from inner city to the outskirts of the city. As urbanisation increase city centres become crowded so people desire more space and commute to work.
How does suburbanisation create a gap between the wealthy and the poor?
Wealthier middle class people can move to the suburbs where there is better quality of life.
Those left behind in city centres are poorer and may include foreign immigrants leading to economic segregation.
What is counter-urbanisation?
The movement of people out of the city into surrounding villages.
Improvements in transport mean people can commute and better communications mean people can work from home.
Why do most people leave cities?
-High property prices
-Overcrowding
-Prefer quieter rural areas
What can counter-urbanisation lead to?
New housing estates being built in rural areas to accommodate rising numbers. Prices may increase meaning young people cannot afford to live there anymore changing the age structure of the area as young people are less likely to afford it.
What is urban resurgence?
The movement of people back to the city centre due to lack of jobs in rural areas or they are attracted by developments.
What countries is urban resurgence most likely?
Post-industrial countries like uk and America.
How does urban resurgence affect the economy?
New shops and services may open in the city as people move back boosting the local economy and creating jobs.
Original residents may not be able to afford to live in the area anymore.
What is a mega city?
An urban area with over 10 million people living there.
How have the number of mega cities increased?
1950=2 (Tokyo and New York)
2030= 41 (predicted)
What proportion of mega cities are in developing countries?
2/3s
Why do mega cities develop?
Rural to urban migration increases and natural increase means cities experience rapid economic and population growth.
How do mega cities affect the economy?
They dominate the national economy as companies choose to build their headquarters in cities with high numbers of skilled workers and good communication links.
What is the social divide usually like in mega cities?
Often have people living at opposite extremes, some are really rich while others live in extreme poverty.
What is a world city?
A city that has political and financial influence over the whole world.
Give an example of a world city.
London
What is the distribution of world cities?
Most are in developing countries like London but some are in emerging like Dubai.
How has the number of world cities increased?
1950= 4
Now = Many oil rich developing nations have become contenders for the world city status.
How do world cities affect trade? Give an example.
Dominate international trade.
Tokyo is extremely influential in international trade between East Asian nations due to its good international transport links.
How is education affected by world cities?
Generally home to world renowned universities that are centres for science and innovation with high quality research facilities.
How do world cities affect culture?
They are centres for culture as they integrate many different cultures with a large range of theatres and museums.
Who do world cities attract?
-migrants
-business visitors
-students
-tourists
