Urbanisation

• Rural = Countryside, Urban = Town and cities
• Urbanisation - the proportion of the world's population who live in cities. Can happen due to natural increase or migration.
• Megacity - a city with a population of over 10 million people.
• In 2015 there were 28 megacities but by 2050 there could be 50. Asia has the most megacities. Tokyo is the biggest with 39 million people.
• British Isles - England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland.

  Great Britain - England, Scotland, Wales

  United Kingdom - England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland
• London; 7.2 million people , capital city, SouthEast England.
• Sheffield; 512,000 people, South Yorkshire
• Edinburgh; 450,000 people, Central Scotland.
• Cardiff; 310,000 people, South Wales.
• Brownfield site - is land which has been used and now abandoned.
• Greenfield site - land at the edge of an urban area that has not been built on.
• Brownfield sites;

  Positives;

  • Sites are close to urban services, so have access to public transport.
  • Sites are available.

  Negatives;

  • Industrial land may need to be decontaminated to make safe.
  • Builidng could be more expensive as land needs to be cleared first.
• Greenfield sites;

  Positives;

  • Land is cheaper.
  • Good links to motorways as at the edge of city.

  Negatives;

  • Habitats are lost.
  • Journey times to city are longer, so more air pollution.
• Urban fringe - where urban and rural areas meet.
• Urban sprawl - is spread of city buildings and housing into an area that was the countryside.
• Commuter settlement - a place whose residents live there but travel somewhere else for work.