G5: Urban Futures

Question 1

What are the patterns of urbanisation in ACs, EDCs/LIDCS & worldwide?

Answer 1

● AC
↳ Most Urbanised, Slowing rate of Urbanisation
● EDC/LIDCs
↳ Least urbanised, increasing rate of urbanisation
● Worldwide
↳ Overall, the rate of urbanisation is slowing

Question 2

What is the difference between a world city & a megacity?

Answer 2

● Megacity: A city with over 10 million in population
● World city: A city with global economic importance through international trade (TNCs) & being international hubs for communication

Question 3

What causes cities to grow into megacities, and how has the proportion of people in megacities changed?

Answer 3

● There has been an increasing number of megacities, from 2 in the 1950s to 28 as of 2022. Why do cities grow into megacities...
↳ Natural Increase
↳ Migration
↳ Geographical location
↳ Economic potential

Question 4

How can world cities be categorised?

Answer 4

● World cities can be categorised into Alpha, beta and gamma based on how important they are to the global economy
● Alpha cities are the most important, with there being subcategories of alpha++, alpha+, alpha & alpha-
↳ The only two alpha++ cities in the world are London & New York

Question 5

What are the Social, Economic & Environmental Consequences of rapid urbanisation in LIDCs?

Answer 5

● Social:
↳ little adequate/official housing
↳ Infrastructure fails to support growing population
↳ Increase in rates of crime
● Economic:
↳ Increased unemployment due to a lack of work
↳ Informal work sector does little to increase access to education & healthcare
● Environmental:
↳ Congestion produces pollution
↳ Toxic waste & sewage pollutes rivers
↳ Rubbish may not be collected

Question 6

What are some push factors that provoke rapid urbanisation in LIDCs & EDCs?

Answer 6

● Limited/No education
● Limited/No job opportunities
● Drought can cause harvests to fail (Unreliable income)
● No running water
● No services or facilities, such as hospitals
● Poor transport networks
● Climate change is making growing seasons unpredictable
● War & Conflict
● Natural disasters
● Mechanisation

Question 7

What are some pull factors that provoke rapid urbanisation in LIDCs & EDCs?

Answer 7

● Schools available
● Factory/Industrial Jobs
● Shops for food purchase
● Chance of a clean water supply
● Wider range of services
● Infrastructure, such as roads & public transport networks
● More diverse range of jobs
● Food can be imported in the event of a food shortage

Question 8

Why do some cities grow to exist in the first place?

Answer 8

○ Cities have urban functions, providing services to people that cause them to grow in an area. These are…
● Market: A centre for trade
● Employment: Opportunities for jobs in the secondary & tertiary industry
● Administration: The area is organised and properly overlooked
● Defence: Cities protect its citizens from danger & attack
● Entertainment: People seek amusement & cities provide that
● Religion: A centre of worship/destination for pilgrims
● Transport hub: Destination on most public transport routes or at major road intersections
● Residential: Has housing & shelter for people
● Culture: Rich in new ideas & innovation

Question 9

What is the primary consequence of rapid urbanisation in LIDCs & EDCs?

Answer 9

The primary consequence of rapid urbanisation in LIDC/EDCs is the construction of slums, areas where people inhabit deteriorated buildings or build homes on any available space

Question 10

Why do some Slums grow?

Answer 10

● Rural-urban migration
● Unemployment: People have no, or low paying, jobs and cannot afford proper housing
● Poor urban planning: Not enough adequate housing built to account for rural-urban migration
● Poor infrastructure & transport networks: Requires people to live where they can easily & quickly access their work

Question 11

What are some of the opportunities and challenges that slums provide?

Answer 11

○ Challenges…
● Social: Poor Housing, disease, lack of clean water, danger, crime
● Economic: Low paid informal jobs
● Environmental: High pollution levels from cars & construction, waste abundance
○ Opportunities…
● Social: Sense of community, Better services,
● Economic: Transport links, cheap housing, work opportunities
● Environmental: Recycling scheme (80%)

Question 12

CASE STUDY: Mumbai, a city in an EDC

Where is Mumbai Located?

Answer 12

On the West coast of India, in the state of Maharashtra

Question 13

CASE STUDY: Mumbai, a city in an EDC

Why is Mumbai regionally, nationally & internationally important?

Answer 13

○ Regionally…
● Growing Hi-Tech quaternary Industry
● Stealing young workforce from neighbouring cities
○ Nationally…
● Provides 33% of income tax
● Is a transport hub (Gateway to India -> Port)
○ Internationally…
● Hot spot for tourism
● Many TNCs base their headquarters here, such as Walt Disney, Volkswagen & the Bank of America
● Largest amount of foreign investment

Question 14

CASE STUDY: Mumbai, a city in an EDC

What are the causes of urbanisation in Mumbai?

Answer 14

● The Green Revolution has decreased farming jobs in rural areas by introducing widespread machinery and seed varieties
● Better Living standards : Sewage, water & electricity systems
● Farming for long hours and low pay shows no prospects of a better life for young people

Question 15

CASE STUDY: Mumbai, a city in an EDC

How has internal migration affected Mumbai?

Answer 15

● Mumbai’s population has snowballed from 7,000,000 in 1970s to roughly 20,500,000 as of 2021

Question 16

CASE STUDY: Mumbai, a city in an EDC

What is one opportunity related to the way of life in Mumbai?

Answer 16

● Within the culture of Mumbai, Tiffins (Small metal canisters containing lunches) are transported by Dabbawallas (workers paid to transport tiffins) to people working in large office blocks
↳ This unique way of life produce job opportunities for people in the form of dabbawallas

Question 17

CASE STUDY: Mumbai, a city in an EDC

What are the contemporary challenges & the opportunities of living in Dharavi?

Answer 17

○ Opportunities:
↳ 80% of waste is recycled in recycling zone
↳ Cheap Housing, 185 rupees (£2.20) a month
↳ There is a sense of community, where people work together
○ Challenges:
↳ Sewage & toxic waste can pollute rivers & water supplies
↳ Informal, low paid sector jobs
↳ Population Density → Leads to widespread disease

Question 18

CASE STUDY: Mumbai, a city in an EDC

What is one sustainable initiative in Mumbai?

Answer 18

● Sustainable initiative in Mumbai:
↳ Public Transport reduces overall emissions & congestion
↳ More people per vehicle
↳ Metroline, Buses, Railways etc.
● Auto Rickshaws meant to run on compressed natural gas (cleaner than petrol) but most don’t

Question 19

CASE STUDY: Birmingham, a city in an AC

Where is Birmingham located?

Answer 19

In the West Midlands, Central England

Question 20

CASE STUDY: Birmingham, a city in an AC

In what ways is Birmingham a multicultural city?

Answer 20

● Largest Pakistani community in the UK
● The Balti curry was invented here, and it is home to the balti triangle
● There are about 12,000 international students in Birmingham’s universities

Question 21

CASE STUDY: Birmingham, a city in an AC

What are some causes of urbanisation in Birmingham?

Answer 21

● Secondary jobs in manufacturing in metal work during the Industrial revolution (rural-urban migration)
● 1779, when the city’s first general hospital was built
● Railway to manchester was built in 1837, and to London a year later

Question 22

CASE STUDY: Birmingham, a city in an AC

How has migration affected Birmingham?

Answer 22

● In the 1850s, the population was roughly 250,000, whereas now, as of 2015, it lies at roughly around 1,300,000
● The majority of Birmingham’s population consists of young, highly-skilled people who have been born or migrated there seeking opportunity. Many of the older people have migrated to the countryside & other rural areas

Question 23

CASE STUDY: Birmingham, a city in an AC

What is one opportunity related to the way of life in Birmingham?

Answer 23

● The redevelopment of the Bullring shopping centre has led to a more pedestrianised city and is providing more jobs in retail and services in general to the surrounding denizens
● The Rotunda has been refurbished from offices to luxury apartments

Question 24

CASE STUDY: Birmingham, a city in an AC

What are the contemporary challenges of living in Birmingham?

Answer 24

○ Within Birmingham, two wards should be considered
● Sparkbrook, in the city centre
● Sutton four oaks, in a suburb on Birmingham’s outskirts
○ Between these wards, and in Birmingham in general, there is a wealth, work & housing inequality
● Unemployment: Rates are 3.1% in Sutton Four Oaks, & 24.5% in Sparkbrook
● Housing income over £35,000: Rates are 47% in Sutton Four Oak, & 12% in Sparkbrook

Question 25

CASE STUDY: Birmingham, a city in an AC

What is one sustainability initiative in Birmingham?

Answer 25

● Birmingham has plans to become a leading green city by reducing carbon emissions & resource consumption
● One way it plans to do this is through the library of Birmingham, a building built on a brownfield site with multiple sustainable features such as…
↳ Minimising emissions using energy-efficient systems
↳ Recycling water & collecting rainwater for usage
↳ Has a roof garden to attract animals and increase biodiversity
↳ Attracts and educates 2.5 million people yearly
● It is socially sustainable by acting as a free facility to raise educational achievement
● It is Economically sustainable by providing work & employment as well as contributing to creating a higher-skilled workforce

Question 26

What is Suburbanisation?

Answer 26

Suburbanisation is when people move from the city centre into estates that lie on a city’s outskirts (called suburbs)

Question 27

What is counter-urbanisation?

Answer 27

Counter-urbanisation (or urban-rural migration) is when people move to live in the countryside/rural areas

Question 28

What are some push & pull factors of counter-urbanisation & Suburbanisation?

Answer 28

● Push factors:
↳ Overcrowding & pollution
↳ Traffic congestion -> increases CO2 emissions
↳ Deindustrialisation of city centre
↳ Unemployment increases
● Pull factors:
↳ Abundance of Green Spaces / Family friendly
↳ New modern housing estates
↳ Cheaper rent on outskirts
↳ Improved public transport

Question 29

What are the social, economic & environmental consequences of counter-urbanisation & suburbanisation?

Answer 29

● Environmental Consequences:
↳ Increase in cars adds to pollution
↳ New housing damages habitats
● Economic Consequences:
↳ Abandoned city centres become derelict & damaged
↳ Unemployment increases, which leads to poverty
● Social Consequences:
↳ Economic & Ethnic segregation
↳ Offices and businesses are abandoned

Question 30

What is re-urbanisation?

Answer 30

Re-urbanisation is when people move back into old abandoned urban areas

Question 31

What are some push & pull factors of re-urbanisation?

Answer 31

● Push factors:
↳ Lack of jobs in rural & suburban areas
↳ Less leisure & entertainment in rural areas
↳ Counter-urbanisation increases house prices
● Pull factors:
↳ Redevelopment of brownfield sites with improved housing
↳ Young people are attracted to universities
↳ Attractive entertainment facilities

Question 32

What are the Social, Economic, & Environmental consequences of re-urbanisation?

Answer 32

● Economic Consequences:
↳ New shops & services improve local economy
↳ Increase in urban tourism
● Social Consequences:
↳ Tension between old & new residents
↳ More jobs & less employment
↳ More students for schools
● Environmental Consequences:
↳ Can destroy urban wildlife
↳  Brownfield site redevelopment improves old polluted, industrial areas

Question 33

What is Urbanisation?

Answer 33

Urbanisation is the positive shift in proportion of people living in urban areas in an area/country