Cities

• Since 1960 many townspeople move to the suburbs, this is called suburbanisation
• What is a city?

  1. certain numbre inhabitains
  2. Desley build
  3. working population, mostly secondary and tertiary sector
  4. large numbre of facilities
• Mega city: more than 10 milion inhabitents

  Metropolis: a centre for the world economy, culture and politics

  Capital city: most important city in a country. Most of time goverment there
• Diference living in city

  • big differnce between rich and poor
  • poor move to city
  • chance better life there than rural
• the global city


  Most important cities in global urban network

  Influence of metropolis is greater than many states
• Primate city


  The biggest city which is much bigger than the second largest city
• Characterics of the area for a city:

  • flat
  • fertile area
  • juction of trade routes
  • by a river or water, the sea
  • a location with raw materials
• Relative location


  location relavtive to other places. For example north of the river.
• In the past some (semi)periphery countries had many cities by the coast
• A colonial twin city has a old and new part. The new part a broad and straight roads. The old part will have narrow and winding paths
• Degree of urbanisation in rich countries is high, urbanisation rate is low. In a LEDC it is the other way round
• Since 1970 huge urbanisation from rural area to a city. Especially in Asia and Afrika
• With urbanisation it is mostly young people who move to the city. THey have kids, which is called settlement surplus
• CBD

  central business district
• Characteristics of a city:

  • Certain number of inhabitants
  • Densely built
  • Working population mostly in secondary and tertiary sectors
  • Large number of facilities
• Types of cities:

  • Megacity: more than ten million inhabitants
  • Metropolis: a center for the world in economy, culture, and politics
  • Capital city: most important city in a country where the government is located
• Living in a megacity:

  • Big difference between rich and poor
  • Chances for a better life are bigger in the city than in rural areas, leading to migration of the poor to cities
• Global city:

  • Most important nodes in the global urban network
  • Influence of metropolises is often greater than that of many states
• In rich countries, cities are connected in many ways through urban networks
• LEDCs often have one megacity that is larger and more important than the second city in the country, known as a primate city
• Cities are located based on characteristics of the area:

  • Absolute location: in flat, fertile areas; at junctions of trade routes; along rivers; on the coast; or at locations of raw materials
  • Relative location: in some (semi)periphery countries, you'll find many cities along the coast
• Colonial twin cities have distinct characteristics:

  • Old part: narrow, winding streets
  • Western part: broad and straight streets
• The urban pattern changes based on the degree of urbanization:

  • Urbanization in rich countries is high, but the urbanization rate is low
  • In LEDCs, it is the opposite
  • Since 1970, there has been a significant urbanization trend with people moving from rural areas to cities, especially in Asia and Africa
• Urbanization involves mostly young people moving to cities, settling, and having children, leading to settlement surplus
• Suburbanisation has been occurring since 1960, with many townspeople moving to the suburbs
• At motorway junctions, edge cities have emerged
• American city CBD:

  • Business center with skyscrapers
  • Near the center: older residential areas with a high density
  • In many cities, these are considered problem neighborhoods
• Suburbs:

  • Spacious residential areas with low-rise buildings
• European city Historic centre:

  • Old neighborhoods close to the center are being converted for wealthier people (gentrification)
• Non-western city:

  • Fast-growing city with some order: CBD, Industrial areas, Residential areas for the rich, Slum districts
• More than half of the city population in the world lives in slums
• New slums are found at the edges of the city, while old slums are located near the city centre
• The government provides basic facilities for those living in slums
• Life in rural areas has no prospect, leading to migration to cities
• People hope to find work in the formal sector, but often end up working in the black market
• The infrastructure in megacities has not been adapted to the rapid increase in traffic
• There are environmental regulations, but companies often disregard them
• Economic growth takes precedence over environmental concerns for the time being
• Urban agglomeration:

  • After 1990, many cities grew over their city boundaries and swallowed surrounding villages
• Suburbanisation:

  • After 1960, people left crowded cities and started living in greener areas outside the city
  • Companies also left central cities and settled in new business areas outside the city because they are better accessible, have more space, and the land is cheaper