Urban Futures

• what is urbanisation

  an increase in the amount of people living in urban areas, such as towns or cities.
• What % of the world population live in urban areas

  50%
• what is a megacity

  an urban area with over 10 million people living there
• where are most megacities located

  2/3 of megacities are located in EDCs and LIDCs
• how are the number of megacities expected to increase

  from 28 to 41 by 2030
• what is a world city

  cities that are centres for trade and business. they hold global influence
• what are 4 key world cities

  London, New York, Tokyo, and Paris
• where are most world cities

  within AC's but are now globally expanding into EDC's
• example of a world city in EDC's

  moscow
• what are examples of push factorsfor urbanisation

  • natural disasters
  • war and conflict
  • drought
• examples of pull factorsfor urbanisation

  • more jobs
  • better education and healthcare
  • increased quality of life
• what is urbanisation

  the movement of people from rural to urban areas
• social consequences of rapid urbanisation in LIDC's

  • little official housing available
  • infrastructure struggles to support growing population
  • increase in crime rates
• environmental impacts of rapid urbanisation

  • rubbish may not be collected
  • sewage and toxic waste
  • increased congestion produces more pollution (traffic)
• economic consequences of rapid urbanisation

  • may not be enough jobs - increased unemployment
  • informal sector increases
  • little access to education and healthcare
• what is counter urbanisation

  movement of people from city centres to outskirts
• push factors for counter urbanisation

  • overcrowding and pollution
  • unemployment increases
  • traffic congestion increases CO2 emissions
• pull factors for counter urbanisation

  • green spaces and family friendly
  • new modern housing estates
  • improved public transport
  • cheaper houses
  • less traffic
• what is suburbanisation

  the movement of people form city centres to the outskirts
• what are push factors for suburbanisation

  • overcrowding and pollution
  • unemployment increases
  • traffic congestion
• what are pull factors for suburbanisation

  • green spaces and family friendly
  • new modern houses
  • improved public transport
  • rents cheaper on outskirts
• what are environmental impacts of suburbanisation

  • new housing damages countryside and habitats
  • increase of cars adds air pollution (commuting)
• what are economic impacts of suburbanisation

  • city centres become deserted as people leave
  • unemployment increases, leading to poverty
• what are the social consequences of suburbanisation

  • offices and businesses are abandoned
  • economic and ethnic segregation
• social effects of urbanisation

  • many live without electricity
  • high diseases rates and low life expectancy
• economic effects of urbanisation

  • less jobs so unemployment and poverty
• environmental impacts of urbanisation

  • traffic
  • slums are heavily polluted with poor sanitation
• what is re-urbanisation

  movement of people back into urban areas
• push factors for re-urbanisation

  • lack of jobs in rural and suburban areas (ore jobs in urban cities)
  • less leisure and entertainment in rural areas
  • counter urbanisation may have increased house prices
• pull factors for re-urbanisation

  • redevelopment of brownfield sites with improved housing
  • young people attracted to the universities
  • people are attracted to entertainment facilities
• social consequences of re-urbanisation

  • shops and services benefit from the additional residents
  • increase in tension between new and older residents
  • house prices in redeveloped areas increase
  • schools benefit from the increase of students
  • more jobs and less employment within the area
• economic consequences of re-urbanisation

  • new shops and services will improve local economy
  • jobs available may not be accessible to original residents
  • urban tourism may increase
• environmental impacts of re-urbanisation

  • redevelopment of brownfield sites improves old industrial and polluted areas
  • decreases pressures on greenfield areas
  • could destroy urban wildlife
• what is informal housing

  housing built on land that does not belong to who are building it. this may be on land that is unsuitable due to its surroundings
• what is internal growth

  when urban areas experience rapid rates of population growth. this is because a large amount of arrival in people, who after finding jobs, homes and partners, will have children
• where does internal growth mostly happen

  LIDCs
• what is a greenbelt area

  zone of land surrounding a city where new building is strictly controlled to try to prevent cities growing too much and too fast
• what is conurbanisation

  a region comprising of a number of cities, large towns, and other urban areas thta, through population growth, have merged to form one continuous urban or industrially developed area