contemporary urban environment

• What is urban growth?

  The increase in the total population of a town or city.
• What is urbanisation?


  The increase in the proportion of the population living in urban centres and the process of change by which places become more urban.
• How much are urban populations expected to increase by 2050?

  68%
• When does suburbanisation occur?

  Where urban areas grow so that rural settlements such as villages become absorbed into the urban areas and engulfed by the city.
• What is an example of suburbanisation?

  Stoke Gifford in South Glouestershire which is 5 miles away from Bristol. Stoke Gifford has urbanised with Bristol's urban sprawl.
• What is the main disadvantage of suburbanisation?

  It can lead to inner-city areas becoming deprived and house prices in the suburbs increasing.
• What is an example of a strategy to limit suburbanisation?

  Greenbelt areas which is an area around a city where building us restricted in order to preserve rural areas.
• What do green belt areas do?

  They limit urban sprawl and suburbanisation by restricting building work around a city.
• Why is urbanisation happening at a faster rate in poorer countries?

  More are moving for better work and health opportunities that are available in cities.
• How many people live in urban areas now?

  55%
• What is counter-urbanisation?


  The process of people moving out of cities into rural areas. This process occurs as people seek for a better quality of life due to urban quality of life being unsatisfactory.
• Why might people want to move out of urban areas?

  - Overcrowding

  - Pollution

  - Poor quality of built environment
• What are pull factors for counter-urbanisation?

  Modern technological and socio-economic advancements mean that there are fewer drawbacks to living in a rural area than previously, such as transport links allowing people to commute.
• What is urban resurgence?

  The process of people moving back into the city, especially after the deterioration of the area.
• When does urban resurgence usually occur?

  When schemes (created by councils and governments) are put in place in aim to improve the quality of life in that area.
• What is the disadvantage of urban resurgence?

  It can cause socioeconomic inequalities as gentrification and excess wealth in the newly developed area causes the original population to struggle to keep up with higher prices for housing and living.
• What is a megacity?

  A city with a population of over 10 million people.
• How many megacities are there in the world?

  33
• How many megacities were there in the 1950s?

  2
• What were the first two megacities in the world?

  Tokyo and New York
• Which continent has the most megacities in the world?

  Asia
• What role do megacities play in national and regional economies?

  They play a crucial role as the large workforce allows for rapid economic growth.
• What is a world city?

  A city that has a significant political and economic influence of a global scale.
• How do world cities differ to megacities?


  World cities are not defined by their size or population, but by their importance to world affairs.
• What are examples of world cities?

  London, New York, Dubai and Tokyo.
• What are the characteristics of world cities?

  -Rich culture and influence over social affairs.-They are connected to the rest of the world via excellent transport links, exemplifying globalisation.-They are often hubs for banking and finance.
• What is deindustrialisation?


  The decline of industry within a country, usually measured by the reduction of industry employment.
• When and where did deindustrialisation begin?

  The mid-20th century in developed countries.
• Why has deindustrialisation happened on a mass scale in western society?

  There has been a struggle for industries to compete with cheaper labour and manufacturing costs (in countries such as China, Singapore and Taiwan).
• What is a service economy?

  An economy where the dominant source of economic growth is through providing services, rather than goods.
• What is the quaternary sector?

  Jobs which provide information.
• What are examples of jobs in the quaternary sector?

  - Teachers

  - Stockbrokers
• What are examples of jobs in the tertiary sector?

  - Call centres

  - Banking
• What is the tertiary sector?

  Jobs which provide services (the service economy).
• What is the secondary sector?

  Jobs which manufacture goods.
• What are examples of jobs in the secondary sector?

  Makingclothing, vehicles and appliances.
• What is the primary sector?

  Jobs which use natural resource exploitation.
• What are examples of jobs in the primary sector?

  - Mining

  - Farming

  - Oil extraction
• What are the drivers of the rise of the tertiary sector?

  1. Rising affluence

  2. Technological change
• What is decentralisation?


  The process of urban developments away from the city centre, such as arge shopping centres or retail parks.