Urbanisation Flashcards
What is urbanisation?
- Urbanisation is the growth in the proportion of a country’s population living in urban areas.
How has urbanisation changed over the last 50 years in developed countries?
- The highest rates of urbanisation in developed countries happened during the industrial revolution in the 18th and 19th centuries as people moved to to cities to work in factories.
- Since the 1960s the proportion of people living in urban areas has increased very slowly - lots of people already live in urban areas. De-industrialisation in the 1960s-1970s meant fewer jobs were available in manufacturing industries - some people moved away as city centres became run down. Many people now prefer to live in rural areas - counter-urbanisation.
How has urbanisation changed over the last 50 years in emerging and developing countries?
- In emerging and developing countries, birth rates are high and death rates are falling - natural increase is causing the rate of urbanisation to increase rapidly.
- A combination of pull factors and push factors is leading to high rates of urbanisation as people leave the countryside in search of better jobs and a higher standard of living.
Pull factors - over the last 50 years a lot of manufacturing moved to emerging countries where labour costs were lower and there are less strict environmental, labour and planning laws. This is creating urban industrial areas with lots of manufacturing and service jobs.
Push factors- Many rural areas are very poor and have limited access to resources. High population growth puts pressure on farmland making it less productive and increased mechanisation can reduce the number of jobs available.
Impacts of urbanisation on developed countries?
- Housing. Huge demand for houses and lack of space means that house prices and rents can be very high. As a result, workers on lower incomes often can’t afford to live near to where they work and many people can’t afford to buy homes.
- Overcrowding. High populations and a shortage of housing can lead to overcrowding.
- Transport. Urban areas often have good transport systems but high populations and increasing numbers of commuters can stress the transport networks. Roads are frequently congested and overcrowding can lead to delays on buses and trains.
- Services. Cities provide some of the best education and health care. However, high populations can mean that access is difficult, especially for poorer people. Waiting times for healthcare can be long and emergency vehicles can be delayed by traffic. Schools may struggle with large class sizes and there can be long waiting lists for the best performing schools.
Economic consequences of urbanisation in developing and emerging countries?
- There may not be enough jobs for everyone, leading to high levels of unemployment.
- Lots of people work in the informal sector, where the jobs aren’t taxed or regulated by the government. People often work long hours in dangerous conditions for little pay.
- People many not have access to education so they are unable to develop the skills needed to get better jobs.
Social consequences of urbanisation in developing and emerging countries?
- There 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. This can cause poor health.
- There can be high levels of crime.
Environmental consequences of urbanisation in developing and emerging countries?
- If cities grow rapidly, waste disposal services, sewage systems and environmental regulations for factories can’t keep pace with the growth.
- Rubbish often isn’t collected or it may end up in big rubbish heaps. This can damage the environment, especially if it’s toxic.
- Sewage and toxic chemicals can get into rivers, harming wildflife.
- The road system may not be able to cope with all the vehicles. Congestion causes increased greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution.
Reasons for population distribuition in Upland regions?
- Upland regions such as the north of Scotland are sparsely populated - they are difficult to farm and have few natural resources.
Reasons for population distribuition in Coastal areas?
- Many coasal areas have attracted human settlement - especially where there are sheltered bays and river estuaries suitable for building harbours. Key ports have grown into major cities.
Where are most urban areas developed?
- Most urban areas developed in lowland areas. These are easy to build on and have a milder climate than upland areas.
How has mineral wealth affected population distribution?
- Mineral wealth has often led to rapid population growth because this was where industries developed.
- Many of the UK’s cities developed on major coalfields e.g Newcastle and Leeds.
Where in the UK is there slow growth and why?
- In general, urban areas in the north and west of the UK are growing slowly and some have a declining population like blackpool.
- Deindustralisation has had greater negative impacts on cities in the north and west, causing high job losses.
- Average wages are lower and there are fewer employment opportuinites, e.g average weekly earnings in 2017 were £501 in Newcastle compared to £727 in London.
- This means that people move away to find work elsewhere and few people are attracted there.
Where in the Uk is there fast growth and why?
- Urban areas in the south and east of the UK are growing more rapidly. Two of the fastest gorwing urban areas are Cambridge and Milton Keynes.
- The growth of service and high-tech industries has mostly benefited the south. As wealth increases, people have more money to spend on services, creating more jobs which attract workers.
- Around half of all international migrant move to London or the south-east. This increases the rate of urbanisation there.
How does car sharing improve quality of life in Bristol?
- Bristol has 2+ people lanes for cars. This means that at certain times during the morning and evening rush hour, only cars with 2 people can uses these lanes, and in many cases car shareres are given priority parking.
- This leads to less congestion and lower pollution levels as there are less cars on the road.
How does cycling improve the quality of life in Bristol?
- Bristol has many cycle routes and became the UK’s first cycling city in 2008. The government gave Bristol council 11.4m to create dedicated cycle lanes and better facilities.
- Less cars on the road means less congestion and air pollution.
