Contemporary Urban Environments 🏙️

Question 1

What is urbanisation?

Answer 1

. The growth in the proportion of a county’s population living in urban areas

Question 2

What does urban mean?

Answer 2

. A built up area in which people live (a town or city)

Question 3

Why was 2008 a significant year for urbanisation?

Answer 3

. UN reported by end of 2008 50% of people in world lived in urban areas
. Predicated to rise to 70% by 2050 even though city’s occupy 3% of earth’s land

Question 4

What was the urbanisation percentage in 2023?

Answer 4

56.2%

Question 5

What are some of the most urbanised regions and there percentages of urbanisation?

Answer 5

. Northern America (82% living in urban areas in 2014)
. Latin America and Caribbean (80%)
. Europe (73%)
. African and Asia projected to be 56% and 64% urban by 2050

Question 6

What does the process of urbanisation involve?

Answer 6

1. Rural to urban migration - mass movement of people from countryside to city
2. Industrialisation- the growth of industry (UK Industrial Revolution from 1760-1840)
3. Improvements in transport followed - trains/ cars developed quickly
   . Happened hundreds of years ago in HICS but now happening in LICS

Question 7

What is suburbanisation?

Answer 7

The outward spread of built up area often at lower densities (fewer people per km squared) or people moving from urban centre to the edge of the urban area

Question 8

What causes suburbanisation?

Answer 8

1. Social segregation- rich, white families move to more desirable areas (WHITE FLIGHT)
2. The growth of cities physically spreading into the greenfield land around city
3. Improvements in transport- surge in commuting, more cars and more motorways / railway networks

Question 9

Where is suburbanisation happening?

Answer 9

NEE’s

Question 10

What is urban sprawl?

Answer 10

. The continued outward spread consuming farmland and smaller towns/ villages leading to vast conurbations

Question 11

What causes urban sprawl?

Answer 11

1. Continued increased improvements in transport
2. Improvements in communications= working from home
3. Decentralisation as old industries begin to shut down
4. Change in wealth+ lifestyle
5. Inner city issues (poverty and deprivation)

Question 12

What is counter-urbanisation?

Answer 12

. The movement of people from major settlements to smaller settlements beyond the city

Question 13

What causes counter-urbanisation?

Answer 13

1. Changes in wealth, transport, lifestyle and communications
2. Changes in surrounding rural settlements (dormitory villages)
3. Change in working habits (exacerbated by Covid)

Question 14

Where does counter-urbanisation occur?

Answer 14

In HIC’s only at present

Question 15

What is reurbanisation?

Answer 15

. Movement of people back into city centres leading to regeneration. Be seen in most Western cities to some extent
. Sometimes planned or more random over periods of time

Question 16

What is the significance of post 1945?

Answer 16

. End of ww2, Hiroshima, the fall of Berlin to Soviet Union

Question 17

What is the difference between urban growth and urbanisation?

Answer 17

.Urbanisation - increase in proportion of people living in urban areas
. Urban growth - increase in the total population of a town or city

Question 18

What are some of the urban growth stats between 1960 and 2020?

Answer 18

. HIC’s have very slow rate of urbanisation= uk growth rate 5.4% between 1960 and 2020
. NEE’s have very fast rate of urbanisation= China growth rate 45% between 1960 and 2020
. LIC’s steady rate of urbanisation= Sierra Leone rate 25.5% between 1960 and 2020

Question 19

What trends can be seen with urban growth since 1945?

Answer 19

. In 1970 world’s largest cities found in East Asia, Southwest Asia
. India = 2 5-10million cities and around Japan 2 10 + million
. North America (East and West) see 2 5-10 million cities e.g California, New York (10million + city)

Question 20

How has the location of the world’s largest cities changed by 2030?

Answer 20

. Predicted to be South East Asia, Southern Africa and Eastern South America
. South East Asia has 13 10+ million cities e.g Tokyo, parts of China
. Increase of 6, 10+ million cities
. Large cities in Southern Africa and 5, 10+ million cities e.g Johannesburg, Kinshasa

Question 21

What is a summary of urban growth from 1970-2030?

Answer 21

1.Most of the world’s land area still less than 80% living in urban areas
2. May cities with large population over 5 million in South East Asia
3. South East Asia % urbanisation atoll pretty low (less than 60%) although urbanising rapidly
4. Anomalies on West coast of Africa
5. North and South America highly urbanised also Europe and Australia

Question 22

What is a megacity?

Answer 22

. A metropolitan area with total population over 10 million people
. There are 38 global megacities

Question 23

Where are the world’s megacities?

Answer 23

. Most located in Asia- 24 out of 38 in Asia
. Tokyo largest megacity in Asia with 38 million and Jakarta with 34 million
. Africa and Europe contain least amount of megacities. Only 3 in Europe Paris, London, Moscow, Lagos

Question 24

What is happening to the world’s megacities?

Answer 24

. Asian cities growing most rapidly e.g Guangzhou growing by 5.2% , Beijing 4.6%
. African cities beginning to grow slowly too e.g Lagos 3.9%, Kinshasa 4.2%
. Europe, North and South America aren’t growing that quickly in their megacities

Question 25

What factors have caused growth of megacities?

Answer 25

1. Rural to urban migration - lack of jobs in countryside. Overpopulation+ poor crop yields = push factors to leave countryside . Better jobs in cities and more reliable food+ higher living standards = pull factors 2. Natural increase- people who migrate to cities have children due to better medical conditions and more successful births

Question 26

What is a world city?

Answer 26

Cities which are seen to have an important role in the global economic system

Question 27

What are world cities categorised into and what are some examples?

Answer 27

. Categorised into Alpha, beta and gamma . Alpha cities are most important and categorised into alpha ++, alpha+, alpha and alpha - . Alpha ++ = most important . Alpha++ London, New York . Alpha+ Hong Kong, Paris, Tokyo . Alpha Johannesburg, Moscow, Mexico City

Question 28

What categories do world cities have to satisfy?

Answer 28

1. Prestige . Demographic e.g Large population, ethnic diversity and tolerance . Technological e.g good access by air, communication links, centre of research and development 2. Status 3. Power . Economic e.g TNC’s, equity market, international banking and stock exchange 4. Influence . Political e.g government ambitions, democratic government . Cultural e.g rich heritage, universities, arts and entertainment

Question 29

What are the causes of urban growth?

Answer 29

1. Natural increase- the difference between birth and death rate . Urban areas tend to have a higher percentage of younger people 2. Rural to urban migration- the movement of people from countryside to city . Migrate due to push factors in countryside and pull factors in the city

Question 30

What is the area form Clapham to Fulham nicknamed?

Answer 30

The ‘Nappy Valley’ as there are so many young families

Question 31

What are some push factors to leave the countryside?

Answer 31

1. Wars and civil strife cause people to leave land 2. Natural disasters 3. High levels of local disease 4. Agricultural problems including desertification 5. Agriculture being organised globally

Question 32

What are some of the pull factors to the city?

Answer 32

1. Earning money from the informal sector 2. Employment in factories and service industries 3. Better quality of life 4. Better quality social provisions 5. Better education opportunities

Question 33

What are some positive impacts of urbanisation?

Answer 33

1. Better public transport 2. Lower unemployment rates 3. Better overall infrastructure 4. More education opportunities 5. Easier to socialise

Question 34

What are some negative impacts of urbanisation?

Answer 34

1. Littering 2. Higher level of air pollution 3. Traffic jams 4. Development of slums 5. Lack of natural spaces

Question 35

What are the consequences of urban growth?

Answer 35

1. Urban sprawl - spread of urban area into surrounding countryside . Loss of open spaces + increase fossil fuel consumption due to commuting 2. Shortage of housing in LIC’s . Population density increase = shortage in housing+ lack of basic essentials 3. Shortages of affordable housing in HIC’s- in Uk increase house demand= increase in house price + rental costs . Houses prices rose by 50% between 2010-2015 4. Lack of urban services and waste disposal . Financial restraints= lack of basic services + maintenance of infrastructure limited 5. Unemployment and underemployment - so many young people = pressure to create jobs . Underemployment = person not doing work that makes use of their skills + abilities 6. Transport issues- urbanisation + suburbanisation led to increased traffic across world . Increased congestion+ pollution damaging the environment and human health

Question 36

What are the 3 main contemporary urban processes that occur in HIC cities?

Answer 36

1. Suburbanisation (urban sprawl) 2. Counter-urbanisation ( go into surrounding villages) 3. Urban resurgence?? (Going back into cities)

Question 37

What is suburbanisation?

Answer 37

The increased movement of people/services and industries from the centres of inner urban areas outwards, towards and onto the edges of the built up area

Question 38

When did suburbanisation begin in the UK?

Answer 38

. Suburbs continued to grow rapidly in all British cities in the inter and post war periods . During this period were fewer planning regulations+ urban growth took form of ribbon development along main routes . 1800-1900 very rapid urban industrialisation . Industry could pay most for city centre cities . Unplanned housing develop around factories . Middle class began to move in suburbs= most known as ‘white flight’

Question 39

What are the causes of suburbanisation?

Answer 39

1. Decentralisation . Shift of jobs into service sector . Non centralised locations = cheaper land . Many service industries located in suburbs 2. De-industrialisation . Loss of manufacturing jobs in inner cities . Inner cities experience spiral of problems e.g unemployment, deprivation . Workers often lacked skills for jobs in service sectors 3. Attractions of edge of city location . Green space . Cheaper land . More pleasant environment 4. Technology . Can commute longer distances . ICT and communication developments = people can work from home

Question 40

What are some positive effects of suburbanisation?

Answer 40

1. Development of brownfield sites 2. Gentrification of certain areas 3. Green belt policies in place 4. Development of science parks, shopping malls e.t.c

Question 41

What are some negative effects of suburbanisation?

Answer 41

1. Infilling of houses and buildings in open spaces 2. Traffic congestion increase 3. Segregated city ‘WHITE FLIGHT’ 4. Cost of land cheaper in suburbs so people want to do live in the suburbs instead of in the city

Question 42

What is counter-urbanisation?

Answer 42

Movement of people from urban areas into rural areas surrounding the city ( beyond green belt)

Question 43

Who does counter-urbanisation?

Answer 43

. Most affluent and mobile people . Families with children ( keen to avoid inner city issues)

Question 44

What are the push factors for counter-urbanisation?

Answer 44

1. Traffic congestion 2. Pollution 3. Fear of crime (burglary, theft e.t.c)

Question 45

What are the pull factors for counter-urbanisation?

Answer 45

1. Rural dream 2. Improved transport 3. Estate agents, housing developers e.t.c (encourage outward movement)

Question 46

What factors have helped counter-urbanisation?

Answer 46

1. Technological change - Emails,+ phones = teleworking and working at home 2. Freezers, telephone TV e.t.c- allow rural lifestyle but not isolation 3. Improvements in transport- commuting easier from rural to urban areas 4. Urban renewal process during 50’s and 60’s- rehoused council estate estates on edge of the city in New Town/ overspill settlements

Question 47

What are the steps of counter-urbanisation?

Answer 47

1. Individual new homes (barns converted into homes) built on vacant land in village 2. Ribbon development of more homes along main roads 3. Land between roads entering village is infilled with larger housing developments- many occupied by people from nearby towns and cities hoping to find balance between rural and urban lifestyle

Question 48

What may be the differences between a normal village and a suburban village?

Answer 48

1. Social- small close knit community ➡️ ‘dormitory village’ + resent,ent of new arrivals 2. Inhabitants- primary jobs e.g farming, manual labour jobs+ working locally ➡️ professionals, executives, often wealthy middle class families or retired 3. Transport- limited cars, rural bus service ➡️ declining bus service, congestion, improved roads 4. Environment- quiet, relatively pollution free + green spaces ➡️ more noise and pollution+ loss of open space and farmland

Question 49

What is urban resurgence?

Answer 49

. Movement of people back to live in old inner city areas which have been redeveloped

Question 50

What are the 2 processes of urban resurgence?

Answer 50

1. In-movement by individuals or groups of upper middle class white individuals, into older hosing which is improved- GENTRIFICATION 2. In- movement of people as part of large scale investment programmes aimed at urban regeneration in a wider social, economic and physical sense - PROPERTY LED REGENERATION SCHEMES e.g Birmingham, London docklands