6. Urbanisation Flashcards
(46 cards)
Define urbanisation
Urbanisation is the growth in the percentage of a population living and working in urban areas.
How do urban areas differ from rural areas?
- Larger population in urban.
- Higher density of people and buildings in urban areas.
- The way of life is different e.g. jobs, transport, leisure activities, wealth
- Their economies are different. In urban areas people work in manufacturing and services industries rather than agriculture.
What is the rate of urbanisation
The rate of urbanisation is the growth in the percentage of a population living and working in urban areas over time.
What is the level of urbanisation
The level of urbanisation is the percentage of a population living and working in urban areas.
What is the timeline of urban processes
- Agglomeration
- Suburbanisation
- Commuting
- Urban regeneration
- Counter-urbanisation
- Urban re-imaging
- Urbanisation of suburbs
What is sub-urbanisation
The outward spread of the urban area, often at lower densities compared with the older parts of a town or city.
eg.
- As towns grow, they expand outwards through suburbanisation.
- Adds to built-up area, but building densities lower than in older parts of town.
What is counter urbanisation
The movement of people and businesses (employment) from major cities to smaller towns/cities and rural areas.
What are the main factors affecting urbanisation
- Pace of economic development
2. Rate of population growth
What is the pace of economic development
It is economic growth that drives urbanisation. When the growth of the secondary and tertiary sectors is fast, so is the rate of urbanisation.
What is the rate of population growth
Economic growth needs an increasing supply of labour. The demand for more workers can be met in two ways; by either natural increase in the urban population or by rural-urban migration. Rural-urban migration is usually the more important source of labour. It involves people being attracted to cities by urban job opportunities and services, and by the perception that cities offer a better lifestyle.
How is natural increase calculated
Natural increase = birth rate - death rate
What is migration
Migration is the movement of people from one area to another. Some migration is forced, some voluntary, some permanent and some temporary.
Examples of primary, secondary, tertiary, quaternary sector jobs
Primary - fishing, mining, farming
Secondary - manufacturing cars, steel, clothes
Tertiary - teaching, lawyer doctors,
Quaternary - research and development
Definition of primary, secondary, tertiary, quaternary sector jobs
Primary - Employment involving the collection of raw materials
Secondary - take the raw materials and process them into manufactured goods and products.
Tertiary - involves the selling of services and skills.
Quaternary - industries providing information services
What is a megacity
A city with a population of over 10 million people
How many megacities are there in the world? And where are most of them located?
35 now - Tokyo, New York, Delhi, shanghai
most located in Asia
What are the main factors affecting the growth of megacities
- Economic development
- Population growth
- Economies of scale
- Multiplier effect
Explain what is meant by economies of scale
If companies are located close together in one city rather than in a few towns, communication becomes easier and there are financial savings in terms of transport
Explain what is meant by the multiplier effect
If one large city is prospering, it will create momentum in the form of job opportunities, so more people will move into the city, meaning there are more people that need goods and services which creates more jobs and the cycle continues
What problems with housing can rapid urbanisation create
- Mass movement of people from rural to urban areas
- Nowhere to live for low cost so live in informal housing e.g. shanty towns or squatter settlements
- Informal housing is often far from city centre with poor sanitation and supply of clean water as well as poor transportation
What problems with access to water and electricity can rapid urbanisation create
- Often provision of basic services doesn’t keep up with growth of population due to high cost and maintenance
- Drinking polluted water leads to illness and informal sewage disposal leads to environmental issues
What problems associated with traffic and congestion can rapid urbanisation create
- As population grows, transport systems become overcrowded and overloaded and is a problem for both rich and poor
- Pollution from a high number of vehicles can cause health issues
What problems associated with health can rapid urbanisation create
- Sometimes not enough doctors or hospitals to deal with rapid increase in population
- Poor living conditions can help diseases like cholera spread quickly
What problems associated with education can rapid urbanisation create
- Lack of schools especially secondary schools, so poverty cycle can continue due to lack of paid employment for skilled labour
