Challenges of an urbanising world Flashcards
Is the urban population growing in both the present and the future?
The world’s urban population is growing, and will continue to grow in the future. Urban cities will grow at an accelerated rate in developing countries, whereas the urban population in developed cities will grow more gradually.
Define a megacity
Megacities are defined as cities with populations over 10 million people.
Describe the global pattern of megacities
Megacities are found around the world but are mainly concentrated in Asia. They steadily grow so all their, water supplies, food, doctors and schools can cope with the population growth and there is little inequality
What is a negative of a megacity in some cases
If a megacity was to rapidly expand, sometimes this means that the infrastructure may be under high pressure. This leads to inequalities such as squatter settlements.
What are the 3 factors which affect influence of a mega city around the world
Political decisions
Migration and travel
Businesses
How do political decisions affect influence of a megacity around the world
Leaders of world cities make decisions that can impact other areas of the world. Such as being allied to another country or adopting more sustainable policies
How does migration and travel affect influence of a megacity around the world
World cities tend to have large international airports that see many tourists, business people and migrants passing through. Cities that are common stop off points for long flights are important.
How do Businesses affect influence of a megacity around the world
A city can be a hub for local and international businesses. TNCs want to have their headquarters in world cities as they are more connected to the rest of the world. As a business in a world city adds to their brand
How do urban economies differ in developing, emerging and developed countries
Developed countries tend to have a large proportion of formal workers where workers have contracts, whereas developing countries have a large proportion of informal workers who find their own work
What are the 3 factors which may alter urban population numbers, distribution and spatial growth over time
Rural to Urban migration
Suburbanisation
Counter Urbanisation
What is rural to Urban migration
When people who live in rural areas migrate to an urban city for work opportunities this maybe because of push and pull factors
Name one cause of natural population increase
Natural increase. when the Birthrates outnumber the death rates. This maybe because of Healthcare improving, better built warning systems for disasters and government policies that allow time off and better care in workspaces for pregnant women
What are some push and pull factors
Push:
-Rural jobs don’t pay well
-climate change is making farming in rural areas difficult
-rural towns have limited access to services
Pull:
-urban areas have higher paid jobs
-better education
-Public transport
-Better healthcare
What is suburbanisation
As the city builds some residents prefer a quieter quality of life, so they move to the suburbs of the city
What are the reasons to move to the suburbs
Less traffic congestion
more land per house
Lower crime rate
more green areas
How can Governments encourage suburbanisation
-By building new transport links to the periphery of the city
-Allowing new house developments on greenfield land surrounding the city
What is the negative of suburbaisation
suburbanisation increases the size of the city and could become too sprawling with too little services and facilities, which would impact the quality of life for residents
What is counter-urbanisation
if a city becomes too large and has too many problems residents may want to move away from the city
What are the reasons for counter-urbanisation
-Houses and apartments cost too much
-Very little job opportunities
-Schools are too full
-limited leisure facilities such as parks
- increasing crime rate
What is deindustrialiation
When some cities have declining economies, where businesses leave the city or become bankrupt.
What is the impacts of deindustrialisation
-Workers can lose their jobs/ higher levels of unemployment
-Many people won’t be able to afford commodities such as going out or buying new clothes. leading to local businesses to lose profit
-Families would be left without food or get evicted from their houses
What is the impact of deindustrialisation on the city
High unemployment may mean an increases of crime rate damaging the cities image
Describe the characteristics of urban land use
Cities tend to follow a pattern of similar structures. Land in the city is used for different purposes residential, industrial or commercial which depends on the characteristics of the land
Describe How cities are structured
Cities look like tree rings, with the oldest cities in the centre and the youngest buildings on the outside (periphery). The city also has small wedges linking all the rings for transportation.
