Geography Paper 2 Section A- Urban issues & Challanges

• Urbanisation: proportion of the world's population who lives in cities

  Urbanisation is growing because of natural increase i.e births & deaths and migration
• Currently, urbanisation is higher in HIC's than in LIC's
• Urban populations are growing more quickly in less developed regions
• The largest growth in urban population by 2050 will take place in India,China & Nigeria (NEE's)
• why do cities grow?

  natural increase- birth rate being higher than the death rate

  -> higher in LIC's because there are a lot of young adults aged 18-35

  -> improvements to health care have significantly lowered the death rate
• why do cities grow?

  Rural-Urban migration-> movement of people from the countryside into towns and cities caused by push and pull factors
• What are some push & pull factors?

  Push (why people want to leave the countryside)

  • Farming is hard & poorly paid
  • Rural areas are isolated, often with few services

  Pull (why people are attracted to the city)

  • a higher standard of living is possible
  • there are better medical facilities
  • better chance of getting an education
• What are megacities?


  Cities with a population of over 10 million people
• Megacities are growing more quickly in NEE's & LIC's
• Rio De Janeiro:where is it located & why is it important

  -In South East Brazil

  -Stunning natural surroundings

  -Manufacturing industries e.g chemicals & furniture

  -Service industries e.g banking & finance

  -Important international transport hub
• Rio de Janeiro is a major regional, national & international city
• Rio has grown mainly because of migration, with people attracted to Rio's employment
• Why has Rio de Janeiro grown? ( examples )

  • economic activities attract migrants from different places, including
  • Amazon Basin
  • Argentina & Bolivia
  • South Korea & China seeking new business opportunities
  • Skilled workers from the USA & UK
• What are the social challanges in Rio?

  • Access to services wasn't at its highest
  • Water supplies: 12% of Rio's population had no running water
  • Energy: Frequent power cuts and blackouts
  • Education: only half of children continue their education beyond the age of 14, this is because of a shortage of schools and teachers
• How do these solutions create opportunities?

  • Access to services- Medical staff detect and treat diseases reducing infant mortality and increasing life expectancy
  • Education- authorities have given school grants to poor families
  • Water supplies- 300km new pipes built
  • Energy- a new nuclear generator built
• How have Rio's industries created economic development?

  • Rio provides more than 6% of Brazil's employment
  • Large companies are attracted to Rio
  • Rio's industrial areas have boosted the city's economy
• Give examples of some employment types in Rio

  • Tourism
  • Construction
  • Retail
  • Service industries
  • Port industries
  • Oil refining
• Unemployment- Challenges & Solutions in Rio (economic)

  -Recession in 2015 increased unemployment in Rio

  -To solve this, Free child care is provided to enable teenage parents to return to education
• Crime- Challenge & Solutions in Rio (economic)

  -Murder, kidnapping and armed assault occur regularly. Powerful gangs control drug trafficking

  -To solve this, in 2013, pacifying police units (UPPs) were established to capture drug dealers
• How has Rio improved its environmental challenges?

  Challenge- Air pollution and traffic congestion

  • the number of cars has grown
  • high crime levels mean people prefer to drive
  • Solved by expanding the metro system so cutting car use
  • Also solved by new toll roads so people can think about the cost of travel
• How has Rio improved its environmental challenges?

  Challenge- Water Pollution

  • Guanabara Bay is highly polluted
  • There's been oil spills from the Petrobras oil refinery
  • Ships empty their fuel tanks in the bay
  • This was solved by fining ships if they discharge fuel illegally
  • 12 new sewage works have been built since 2004
• How has Rio improved its environmental challenges?

  Challenge- Waste pollution

  • most waste is dumped and pollutes the water system, causing diseases and encouraging rats
  • a power plant has been set up which consumes 30 tonnes of rubbish a day and produces enough electricity for 1000 homes
• What is a favela?

  slums , illegal settlements where people build homes on land they do not own, caused partially by the high costs of housing in Rio
• What are the challenges in squatter settlements? (favelas)

  • Crime is common, drug gangs can dominate
  • Health issues, waste cannot be disposed of, and builds up in the street, increasing danger of disease
  • Lack of service, 12% of homes have no running water, 30% have no electricity
  • Construction: Houses are built with basic materials on steep slopes & heavy rain can cause landslides
  • Unemployment: rates are as high as 20% & Average incomes may be less than £75 a month
• Favela Barrio Project- Improvements

  • Paved roads
  • Improved sanitation
  • Access to a water supply
• How have the Olympics affected the favelas?

  • += for some residents, houses are better than the favelas
  • -= Campo Grande lacks a sense of community, has no shops
• Has the Favela Barrio Project been successful?

  + -> Quality of life, mobility and employment have been improved

  There's still issues, such as

  -newly built infrastructure is not being maintained

  -more training is needed to improve literacy and employment
• Why is Bristol a major UK city?

  Education- two large universities

  Tourism- UK's eighth most popular city for foreign visitors

  Culture and entertainment- home to the creators of wallace & gromit

  Industry- largest concentration of silicon chip manufacturers outside california
• Bristol is located in South-West England
• Why's Bristol an important international city?

  • Good Transport i.e Bristol airport links to Europe and the USA
  • Industry i.e Global industries like aerospace and media
  • Education e.g it attracts international students
• Opportunities and Challenges of migration in Bristol

  • + enriching the city's cultural life
  • + Mainly young migrants help to balance the ageing population
  • Teaching children whose first language is not English
  • Bristol is very expensive for housing rental or purchase
• Changes in Bristol:

  • Bristol's Population is increasing
  • Has good transport links
  • 2 million+ live within 50km of the city
• Social opportunities in Bristol

  • Entertainment- there are nightclubs, bars and a music scene ( Bristol's Harbourside) attracting 300,000 spectators
  • Improved sports facilities
  • Improved shopping facilities offices,cinema,hotel and 250 apartments
• How has Bristol's industry changed?

  • major developments have been in tertiary services & quaternary (high-tech) sectors
• Employment is an economic opportunity created by the growth of high tech industries in Bristol
• Industries including:

  Defence Procurement Agency (DPA)

  -Employs over 10,000 People

  -Created a Demand for housing which contributed to the city's urban sprawl
• How are changes affecting Bristol's Environment

  in 2015, Bristol became the first UK city to be awarded the status of European Green Capital

  they plan to increase the number of jobs in low carbon industries

  THEY HAVE:

  • reduced water pollution by monitoring and maintenance
  • Increased the usage of brownfield sites for new businesses & housing
  • Integrated transport systems provide social,economic and environmental opportunities
  • Urban Greening is an environmental opportunity
  • Bristol, 8 nature reserves & 300 parks in the city