Urbanisation Flashcards
(38 cards)
What % of the global population lived in urban areas in 1950 and 2014?
1950: 30% of global population in urban areas
2014: 50% of global population in urban areas
Since 1945, has the urban population in the developed world increased drastically or slowly? Why is this?
Urban pop. in developed world has only slightly increased since 1945 - this is because urbanisation began much earlier than in the developing world.
Many people moved moved to cities during Industrial Revolution to find work in factories and mills
Most people in the developing world live in rural areas, but this is changing fast. How has Beijing’s population changed from 1970 to 2015?
Beijing 1970: 4.4 million urban pop.
Beijing 2015: 20.4 million urban pop.
What are the 4 processes which involve movement of people in and out of urban areas?
Urbanisation, sub-urbanisation, counter-urbanisation and urban resurgence
What is the definition of urbanisation?
Growth in proportion of people living in urban areas
Why does urbanisation occur?
Due to migration, mainly rural-urban, and natural increase, more born than die.
Why do people migrate to urban areas?
Better access to healthcare, education and jobs
What type of people are usually migrants?
Young adults. If they have children, population increases further.
What living conditions does urbanisation in the developing world usually result in?
Shanty towns - unplanned and illegal settlements made from any material available
What is the definition of sub-urbanisation?
Movement of people from inner city areas to the outskirts of the city
Why does sub-urbanisation occur?
As urbanisation increases, people desire more space as city centres become overcrowded.
Improvements in transport means people can live further away and commute to work.
Many people choose to move to the suburbs when they retire or have children.
What happens due to sub-urbanisation?
Complex pattern of wealthy and poor areas develop. Wealthier, middle-class move to suburbs from inner city where there's a better quality of life, and poor are left behind.
What type of people are usually left behind after the wealthier move out of inner cities into suburbs?
Foreign migrants
What problems can arise due to wealthier people moving into suburbs and leaving the poorer migrants behind?
Economic and ethnic segregation
What is the definition of counter-urbanisation?
Movement of people out of the city into surrounding villages and rural areas
Why does counter-urbanisation occur?
Improvements in transport mean people can commute to work and better communication allows people to work from home.
People leave cities due to high house prices and overcrowding.
Some people prefer quieter rural areas.
What can counter-urbanisation lead to?
New housing estates built in rural areas.
Due to this house prices can increase in the rural area, meaning locals, e.g. young people, can no longer afford to live there.
This changes the age structure, where the average age increases.
What is the definition of urban resurgence?
Movement of people back into the city centre.
Why does urban resurgence occur?
People may move back to city centres due to a lack of jobs in rural/suburban areas.
People are attracted by new development, e.g. high quality housing, so move back to the city
What type of countries is urban resurgence common in? Give examples.
Post-industrial countries e.g. USA and UK
What can happen due to urban resurgence? What is the disadvantage of this?
New shops and services open as people move back, boosting local economy and creating jobs.
However, original residents may no longer afford to live in the area, so could be forced to move to cheaper locations.
What is a megacity?
An urban area with over 10 million people
How many megacities were there in 1950? What were they?
2 - Tokyo and New York
How many megacities were there in 2014?
28
