urban issues and challenges

• Urbanisation is the increase in the amount of people living in urban areas such as towns or cities.
• In 2007, the UN announced that, for the first time, more than 50 % of the world’s population live in urban areas.
• Urbanisation is happening all over the world but in LICs and NEEs rates are much faster than HICs.
• Urbanisation is mostly due to the rapid economic growth, which is leading to increasing life expectancies, that LICs and NEEs are experiencing.
• A megacity is an urban area with over 10 million people living there.
• Unemployment in the favelas peaked at 20%.
• Rio had some of the highest income inequality in the world.
• There was a lot of waste and sewage from the favelas that was not being disposed of and polluting Guanabara Bay.
• A high number of informal jobs, often with low pay and no tax contributions, can be found in areas such as Ipanema and Copacabana, which cater to tourists.
• 12% of Rio’s population did not have access to running water as industry was using up the vast amount of the supplies.
• One way roads at rush hour are used to deal with congestion as people find public transport unsafe.
• More than two thirds of current megacities are located in either LICs or NEEs.
• The majority of megacities are located in Asia.
• The number of megacities is predicted to increase from 28 to 41 by 2030.
• Rural-urban migration is the movement of people from rural to urban areas.
• Push factors are factors that encourage people to move away from a place.
• Pull factors are factors that encourage people to move to a place.
• Natural disasters such as drought can cause urbanisation.
• War and conflict can cause urbanisation.
• Mechanisation can cause urbanisation.
• Lack of opportunities can cause urbanisation.
• Lack of employment can cause urbanisation.
• Natural increase occurs when the birth rate is greater than the death rate.
• Migration often involves young adults.
• When there is a high percentage of population of child-bearing age this leads to higher birth rate.
• Lack of contraception or education about family planning can cause urbanisation.
• A higher life expectancy is due to supplies of clean water, better living conditions and diet.
• Rio de Janeiro is located in eastern Brazil, South America.
• Urban Change in a Major NEE City: Rio de Janeiro Case Study
• More deprived areas have higher crime rates, higher unemployment and more overcrowding in Birmingham.
• Birmingham has a lot of museums, concert halls and live music venues.
• Migration to Birmingham is associated with the building of large areas of terraced housing in the city.
• The Balti triangle is a tourist hotspot in Birmingham.
• Improved medical facilities help lower infant mortality rates and raise life expectancies.
• Greenbelt Area is the linking of different forms of public and private transport within a city and the surrounding area.
• Brownfield site is an area of land or that has been developed before and, because it has become derelict, can be re-used.
• Brownfield sites are more expensive to develop than greenfield sites as derelict buildings must be removed first.
• Sustainable urban living means being able to live in cities in ways that do not pollute the environment and using resources in ways that ensure future generations can also use them.
• Water Conservation, Energy Conservation are about reducing the amount of water used.
• Rainwater harvesting provides water for gardens and for flushing toilets.