Changing cities

Question 1

What is urbanisation?

Answer 1

growth in the proportion of a country’s population living in urban areas

Question 2

How has urbanisation changed over the last 50 years in developed countries?

Answer 2

• highest rates of urbanisation in developed countries happened during industrial revolution in 18th and 19th centuries - people moved to cities to work in factories
• since 1960s proportion of people living in urban areas increased very slowly - lots of people already live in urban areas - de-industrialisation in 1960s-1970s meant fewer jobs available in manufacturing industries - people moved away as city centres became run down - many people now prefer to live in rural areas - counter-urbanisation

Question 3

How has urbanisation changed over the last 50 years in emerging and developing countries?

Answer 3

• birth rates high and death rates are falling - natural increase causing rate of urbanisation to increase rapidly
• combination of pull factors and push factors leading to high rates of urbanisation as - people leave the countryside in search of better jobs/higher standard of living
• pull factors - over last 50 years a lot of manufacturing moved to emerging countries - labour costs lower + less strict environmental, labour and planning laws - creating urban industrial areas with lots of manufacturing and service jobs
• push factors- many rural areas very poor + have limited access to resources - high population growth puts pressure on farmland making it less productive - increased mechanisation reduce number of jobs available

Question 4

Impacts of urbanisation on developed countries?

Answer 4

• housing- huge demand for houses - lack of space means house prices/rents very high - workers on lower incomes can’t afford to live near where they work - people can’t afford to buy homes
• overcrowding - high populations + shortage of housing can lead to overcrowding
• transport - urban areas often have good transport systems - high populations/increasing numbers of commuters can stress transport networks - roads frequently congested + overcrowding lead to delays on buses and trains
• services - cities provide some of the best education and health care - high populations can mean that access is difficult - especially for poorer people - waiting times for healthcare can be long + emergency vehicles can be delayed by traffic - schools may struggle with large class sizes + long waiting lists for best performing schools

Question 5

Economic consequences of urbanisation in developing and emerging countries?

Answer 5

• may not be enough jobs for everyone - high levels of unemployment
• lots of people work in informal sector - 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 - unable to develop skills needed to get better jobs

Question 6

Social consequences of urbanisation in developing and emerging countries?

Answer 6

• aren’t enough houses for everyone -people end up in squatter settlements - badly built and overcrowded
• infrastructure can’t be built fast enough - people often don’t have access to basic services - cause poor health
• can be high levels of crime

Question 7

Environmental consequences of urbanisation in developing and emerging countries?

Answer 7

• if cities grow rapidly - waste disposal services, sewage systems and environmental regulations for factories can’t keep pace with growth
• rubbish often not collected - may end up in big rubbish heaps - damages environment - especially if toxic
• sewage and toxic chemicals can get into rivers - harming wildflife
• road system may not be able to cope with lots of vehicles - congestion causes increased greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution

Question 8

Reasons for population distribuition in Upland regions?

Answer 8

• upland regions such as north of Scotland sparsely populated - difficult to farm - few natural resources

Question 9

Reasons for population distribuition in Coastal areas?

Answer 9

• 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

Question 10

How has mineral wealth affected population distribution?

Answer 10

• mineral wealth often leads to rapid population growth - where industries developed
• many of UK’s cities developed on major coalfields e.g Newcastle and Leeds

Question 11

Where in the UK is there slow growth and why?

Answer 11

• urban areas in north and west of UK are growing slowly - some have declining population
• deindustralisation greater negative impacts on cities in north and west - high job losses
• average wages lower - fewer employment opportunities
• people move away to find work elsewhere - few people attracted there

Question 12

Where in the Uk is there fast growth and why?

Answer 12

• urban areas in south and east of UK are growing rapidly
• growth of service and high-tech industries 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 south-east - increases rate of urbanisation there