Urbanisation

Urbanisation is happening fastest in poorer countriesUrbanisation is the growth in the proportion of a countries population living in urban areas. It is happening all around the world. More than 50% of the worlds population currently live in urban areas and the is increasing everyday. Urbanisation is different between rich and poor countries. 1. Most of the population in richer countries already live in urban areas. More than 80% of the UK's population live in urban areas. 2. Not many of the population in poorer countries currently live in urban areas. Around 25% of Bangladesh live in urban areas3.Most urbanisation that's happening in the world is happening in poorer countries at a fast pace.

Urbanisation is caused by rural-urban migration.Rural urban migration is the movement of people fom the countryside to the cities. Rural urban migration cause urbanisation in both both MEDC's and LEDC's. LEDC'sThere is often a shortage of services in rural areas.Standard of living is better in the cities More jobs available IndustryBetter housingMEDC's Occurred during the industrial revolution Jobs were created in urban areasPeople moved for jobsRedevelopment

A CITY CAN BE SPLIT INTO 4 MAIN PARTSCBDThis is the Central Business District. It is usually found right in the centre of a city. It is the commercial centre of thee city with shops and offices, and also has many transport routes. It has very high land values as there is a lot of competition for space. Buildings are tall and building density is very high. Very few people live in the CBD.The Inner CityThis part is found around the CBD. It has a mix of poorer quality housing and old industrial buildings. The inner city can be quite run down and deprived but there is also newer housing and industry where derelict land has been cleared and redeveloped.The SuburbsThese are the housing areas found towards the edge of the city. Land here is cheaper and it is still close enough to commute into the centre for work. In both the UK and USA, middle class families tend to live in the suburbs, because it is a nicer enviroment and there is less crime and pollution.  The Rural-Urban Fringe This is the part right at the edge of a city, where there are both urban land uses and rural land uses. Here you tend to find fewer, larger housing.

LAND USESometimes the land use of each part doesnt match the model. In countries such as France,Italy and Sweden, the inner city areas are where the wealthier middle class families live and the suburbs tend to be the deprived areas. In recent years a lot of shopping centres have been built in out-of-town locations in the UK. This has caused shops in the CBD to close down. Inner city tower blocks have been removed and replaced with new housing estates on the rural-urban fringe. 

GROWING POPULATIONS NEED MORE HOUSINGSome richer countries have housing shortages in urban areas because the urban population has grown quickly. There are many ways in which these problems are being tackled.1) urban renewal schemesThese are government strategies first used in the 1990's. They encourage investment in new housing, services and employment in derelict city areas. A successful example is the dockland development in Liverpool- the derelict docks were converted into high end housing with good local housing. 2) New townsBrand new towns have been built to overspill populations fom existing towns and cities where there was a shortage of housing. Milton Keynes is one of the most well-known examples of a new town in the UK. 3) Relocation IncentivesThese are used to encourage people living in large council housing to move out of the urban areas. This frees up housing space for working people. There are schemes set up by governements which ask that older people living in big cities move to the seaside or the countryside. The council helps the people moving out and also offers them money.  

EFFORTS ARE BEING MADE TO REVITALISE CBD'SThe CBD's in some cities are run down. One reason for this is competition from out of town shopping centres and business centres, which have cheaper rent  and are easier to drive to. Things are being done to revitalise CBD's and attract people back to them. For example1. pedestrianising areas to make them safer and nicer for shoppers. 2. Improving access with better public transport links and better car parking. 3. Converting derelict warehouses and docks into smart new shops, restaurants and museums.4. Improving public areas to make them more attractive. 

INCREASED CAR USE HAS AN IMPACT ON THE ENVIRONMENT There are more and 

Urbanisation

Parts of a city

Urban Issues