Changing cities

• Over the last 50 years urbanisation has occurred at different rates and in different ways in developed, emerging and developing countries
• More than half the world's population now lives in towns and cities as a result of urbanisation
• Current trends predict that the urban population could rise to 5 billion by 2030
• In developed countries, the main cause of urbanisation is industrialisation
• In emerging and developing countries, recent rapid urbanisation has been caused by rural to urban migration and natural increase
• Effects of urbanisation


  • Illegal, unplanned shanty towns often develop in developing countries
  • Air, noise and water pollution all increase
  • Gap between rich and poor widens, often more in emerging and developing countries
  • Investment increases, leading to greater economic opportunities
• Population density


  The number of people per square kilometre
• The overall population density of the UK is 266 people/km²
• Factors causing differences in UK population density

  • Fewer major cities and high relief in the north
  • Cooler climate in Scotland making living more difficult
  • Location of ports providing opportunities for industry and employment
• Factors causing differences in UK urbanisation rates

  1. Specialisation in manufacturing

  2. Improvements in transport connectivity
• Site


  The physical location of a city
• Situation


  The position of a city in relation to its surrounding area and other places
• Connectivity


  The transport networks connecting a city at different scales
• Birmingham has excellent road links to the north and south
• Birmingham has a range of transport networks including an international airport, major railway station and motorway access
• Birmingham is a multicultural city with 22% of the population born outside the UK
• Birmingham is one of the leading UK cities for parks, with 571 parks covering 3500 hectares
• CBD (Central Business District)


  The main financial centre of a city, with offices, shops, restaurants, apartments and hotels
• Birmingham's CBD has recently undergone redevelopment with new shopping centres like the Bullring and Grand Central
• Birmingham's CBD is the most accessible part of the city, with key transport links
• Birmingham's city structure


  • CBD
  • Inner city
  • Suburbs
  • Urban-rural fringe
• Birmingham has a higher than UK average population for the 0-34 age groups, with the highest being 20-24
• National migration in Birmingham


  • People moving out to retirement destinations in the south
  • People moving in due to increased investment and employment opportunities in the CBD
• International migration in Birmingham

  • People moving in who have fled conflict in other countries
  • People moving in to fill key job posts
• Impacts of migration in Birmingham

  • Younger population
  • Multiculturalism
  • Ethnic communities
  • Higher housing demand
  • Increased pressure on services
• Birmingham had a total population of approximately 1.1 million in 2014, an increase of 9.9% since 2004
• Birmingham has a youthful population, with 22.9% under 16 and only 13.1% of pensionable age
• The key reasons for population growth in Birmingham are an increase in the number of births
• Pressure on key services, such as GP surgeries
• You will need to know the causes of deindustrialisation (the decline of industries in an area) and the impacts this has had on a named UK city
• Deindustrialisation


  The decline of industries in an area
• In 2014, Birmingham had a total population of approximately 1.1 million people an increase of 9.9 per cent since 2004
• In 2014, 22.9 per cent of the population of Birmingham were children - approximately 19 per cent higher than both the regional and national averages
• In 2014, 13.1 per cent of people living in Birmingham were of pensionable age - lower than both the regional (18.0 per cent) and national (17.6 per cent) averages
• Key reasons for population growth in Birmingham City

  Increase in the number of births, a rise in international migration and a declining death rate from improved health care
• Increased imports of foreign cars

  Less demand for cars produced in Birmingham
• 1970s ring road built


  Some factories removed to make way for route
• Deindustrialisation in Birmingham


  Empty factory units are eyesores, encourage vandalism and are a public health risk
• Slow adoption of new technologies

  Some industries became less efficient than higher-tech rivals and closed down
• The graph shows that over the next 20 years the number of people in Birmingham aged 65 and above will rapidly increase, going from a 3 per cent change in 2015 to a projected 35 per cent change in 2031 compared with 2012. The age groups of 0-15 and 16-64 will level out over the same period of time, with a projected 10 per cent change