Urbanisation Flashcards
urbanisation definition
the increase in the proportion of the population living in cities
urban growth definition
the increase in the total population of a town or city
urban expansion
the increase in size or geographical footprint of a city
what is counter urbanisation
is the movement of people from large urban areas into smaller urban areas or into rural areas
characteristics of reurbanisation
the refurbishment, by more affluent people, of old housing stock in former run down inner-city areas
what has allowed suburbanisation to happen
it has been facilitated by the development of transport networks and the increase in ownership of private cars. so people are able to commute to work. the development of the internet also means people can work from home- don’t need to live in cities
urban sprawl definition
the physical spread of the urban area. it has been caused by suburbanisation and the desire for lower density housing
suburbanisation leads to…
decentralisation (‘doughnut effect’)
issues of suburbanisation (environmental and social) using example of ‘Surbiton’
in Surbiton 70% of households own at least one car which can lead to increased congestion on the A3
average selling price is £406,000 compared to UK average of £226,000 (social segregation)
40% of households commute to work
how can counter urbanisation create demographic changes in rural areas
in migration of people wanting to retire early and have second homes. also the in migration of married couples with families.
leads to out migration of young village born adults seeking employment elsewhere
features of the ‘core’ of a city
central area, where decisions are made, highest economic growth, most jobs, where affluent people live
features of the ‘periphary’ of a city
less economic value
less affluent
provide resources
outlying regions
megacities have a population over…
10 million
example of a megacity
Tokyo
what are world cities
these are not necessarily the largest in terms of population but are disproportionately important in terms of global economy
example of a world city
London or New York
London as a political hub- 3 examples
home to houses of parliament, 10 downing street, etc
Embassies from every country
Home to 33% of European HQs of Global Fortune 500
London as a migration hub- 2 examples
nearly a third of the city’s population is from black, Asian or minority ethnic groups
in London over 300 languages are spoken and there are at least 14 different faiths
London as a business, transport and trade hub
80% of the business is international
100,000 of flights per month from the airports
over 40% of the world’s foreign equities are traded here
When is the urban heat island effect most likely to occur?
On a calm night during an anticyclone when there is less mixing of the air. The high pressure leads to cloudless skies. By contrast rural areas tend to have lower temperatures.
What are the characteristics of an area undergoing urban resurgence?
Influx of often younger professionals, higher skilled and educated, occupying older inner city type locations. This is often accompanied by the processes of gentrification.
Following a storm, why do urban river discharges often return to normal base flow levels more quickly than rural river discharges?
In urban areas a higher proportion of the precipitation becomes runoff rather than throughflow. This reduces lag time to peak discharge and the return to base flow.
