Changing Cities Unit

Key Terms
1. Developing Country
  1. Country with low human development (LHD), a poor country. Countries in Africa mainly fall in this category.
2. Emerging Country
  1. Country with high or medium human development (HMHD). Countries in Asia and Latin America mainly fall in this category.
3. Developed Country
  1. Country with very high human development (VHHD). Countries in North America, Europe and Oceania mainly fall in this category.
4. Natural Increase
  1. When population numbers show a positive difference between the birth rate and death rate (birth rate exceeds death rate)
5. Urbanisation
  1. The increase in the number of people living in towns and cities rather than in the country side
6. Major City
  1. City with population of at least 200,000 people.
7. Mega City
  1. City with a population of at least 10 million people.
8. Human Development Index
  1. A measurement of life expectancy, access to education and gross national income per capita used to assess how much progress a country has made
Global Trends
1. Overall more people live in urban than rural areas.
2. Amount of people living in urban areas is predicted to increase from 3bil to 5bil by 2030
3. Most rapid growth in cities is occuring in developing and emerging countries
4. Rates in urbanisation in developed countries have slowed since the 1960's
5. Global rates of urbanisation have slowed since the 1990's
6. Africa has the fasted rate of urbanisation
7. 3/4's of developed countries have an urbanised environment
8. The number of mega cities have increased in the last 50 years. Many of which are located in developing and emerging countries.
Urbanisation
1. Urbanisation in developing and emerging countries.
  1. Natural increase:
    1. Higher birth rates than death rates
    2. Migrants are at child bearing age
    3. Decreasing death rate and higher life expentancy due to better living environment/quality of life.
  2. Migration:
    1. Push factor:
      1. Lack of farm jobs due to mechanisation
      2. Harsh living conditions in rural life
      3. Crop failures in rural areas
    2. Pull factor:
      1. Higher wages in city
      2. Better jobs in the city
      3. Better services: Piped water, health care, electricity and education.
  3. Growth has resulted in mega cities.
2. Urbanisation in developed countries.
  1. Main cause: Industrial revolution
  2. Occured during the 19th century during the agricultural and industrial revolution
  3. People moved from rural to urban areas because of:
    1. Mechanisation of farming
    2. Large farming estates enclosed land meaning poorer villages could not use their own land to support themselves.
    3. Rise in factory jobs as countries industrialised.
  4. After industrial boom cities stopped developing fast, and now only develop as people move into the city
  5. Cities provide better jobs especially for the younger generation
Negative impacts of urbanisation:
1. Developed:
  1. Social:
    1. Buses and trains cannot cope with increase in people.
    2. Schools do not have enough placements for children resulting in bad education and stress on teachers.
  2. Economic:
    1. Housing prices and rent constantly increasing as there are not enough houses for people.
    2. Money will be spent for improving infrastructure, resulting in larger growth.
    3. Negative multiplier effect?
  3. Environmental:
    1. Increasing air pollution and traffic.
    2. Many cities suffer from problems like litter.
2. Emerging and Devloping:
  1. Social:
    1. Impacts agriculture as old people are left to the country side.
    2. Illegal unplanned shanty towns/slums develop as there are not enough houses. These dont have any electricity, water. Sewage pollutes local water, causing diseases.
    3. Increase in crime rate due to lack of jobs.
    4. Gaps between the rich and poor widen.
  2. Economic:
  3. Environmental:
    1. Increase in pollution.
Benefits of urbanisation:
1. Better social integration and understanding.
2. Range of health care and education is more accessible in urban areas, improving literacy rate and health for the country.
3. Investment in the area increases, leading to larger economic opportunties.
4. Tourism will develop in the area, providing a source of foreign currency.
5. Large cities allow mor distrubution of resources such as transport , energy and labour.
Reasons for regional variations in urbanisation:
1. Historical:
  1. Industrial revolution - Enclosure acts forced people to displace from the Midlands and northern England.
  2. Capital city - London stood out from other towns in 1801 due to its importance and size.
2. Political:
  1. Centre of government - London is the centre of the government and decision making which encourages firms.
3. Physical:
  1. Retirement settlements - South coast of the UK has been developed into a retirement settlement as it is more relaxing.
  2. Ports - Cities which had located on rivers and estuaries grew as ports as trade with other countries developed.
4. Economic:
  1. Tourism - As coastal towns and cities developed their tourist industry, people moved there for jobs
  2. Tertiary and Quanternary sectors - The UK has focused on developing those sectors resulting in improved transport and communication.

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Changing Cities Unit

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	Created by Parth Shetty over 6 years ago