urban issues and challenges

• Urbanisation


  The growth in the proportion of people living in urban areas
• Urbanisation in Higher Income Countries (HICs)


  • Larger urban population at 75%
  • Urbanisation happened during industrial revolution
  • Slow rate of urbanisation as most already live there
  • Counter urbanisation is happening because of good transport and internet
• Higher Income Countries (HICs)

  • UK
  • Japan
• Urbanisation in Lower Income Countries (LICs)

  • Smaller urban population at 35%
  • High rate of urbanisation
• Lower Income Countries (LICs)

  • Ethiopia
  • Afghanistan
• Urbanisation in Newly Emerging Economies (NEEs)


  • Urbanisation depends on when the NEE is industrialised
  • Rate of urbanisation is around 2%
• Newly Emerging Economies (NEEs)

  • Brazil
  • China
• Rural to urban migration


  The movement of people from countryside to cities, these are affected by push and pull factors
• Push factors for rural to urban migration

  • Rural areas have fewer resources
  • Fewer jobs (mechanised agricultural equipment)
  • Desertification make less people able to support themselves
• Pull factors for rural to urban migration

  • More jobs in urban areas and better paid
  • Access to better healthcare and educational opportunities
• Natural increase


  When young people move to cities to find work and then continue to have children, and as there's better healthcare, it increases life expectancy preventing the decline of urban populations
• Megacity


  An urban area with more than 10 million people
• Reasons for urbanisation and creation of megacities

  • Rural to urban migration
  • Natural increase
  • Economic development
  • Location
• Rio (a megacity in Brazil)

  • Located in South East Brazil on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean in South America in the Southern hemisphere
  • Population of 13 million making it a megacity and a NEE
  • Rapid growth due to international migration, rural to urban migration, natural population increase, and environmental factors
• Rio is regionally important because the University of Rio educates 70,000 students who grow up to be engineers or doctors, contributing to Brazil's newly emerging economy and provides service to locals
• Rio is nationally important because the megacity makes up 5% of Brazil's income and would otherwise live in poverty, and the jobs provided in Rio provide employment so it adds to the economy
• Rio is internationally important because it hosts many international events like the Olympics or World cup, its stock exchange contributes to the global economy, and it provides countries with petrol, sugar and coffee
• Social opportunities in Rio

  • Energy
  • Education
  • Health
  • Water
• Energyin Rio 


  • Poor have access to electricity as they tap into it illegally
  • Built an electric power station increasing power supply 30% and 60 km of power lines
• Educationin Rio


  • 95% of children over 10 go to school
  • Its free so kids in slums can go in morning or afternoon
  • 6 major unis, 19 out 50 top schools in Brazil
• Healthin Rio 


  • 105 hospitals in rio
  • Life expectancy of 77 rather than 73 for rest of brazil
  • Doctors are more qualified as rio has most teaching hospitals in brazil
• Waterin Rio 


  • 75% of rios water is treated compared to 39% average
  • Built 7 new water pipes from population growth
• Challenges in Rio


  • Access to services
  • Unemployment / crime
  • Slums / squatter settlements
  • Managing the environment
• Access to services


  • Limited road access and very narrow roads
  • Government doesn't have the time or money to install drains and sewers causing pollution causing diseases spreading fast from overcrowding
• Unemployment / crime


  • 20% of people in favelas are unemployed
  • 16% of people in favelas are illiterate
  • People of rio don't trust police
• Slums / squatter settlements


  • Landslides and flooding is common which kills 100s
  • Squatters have no legal rights so there are high crime rates
  • Houses made of cardboard, plastic and wood
• Managing the environment


  • Traffic jams create smog creating air pollution killing 1,000s
  • Due to lack of waste collection, people burn rubbish adding to air pollution
• How Rio manages air pollution / traffic

  1. Adding tolls to roads

  2. Expanding the metro system

  However it is hard to manage as there is a 40% increase of cars in Rio
• Air pollution / traffic in Rio

  • Caused by high population and many people drive to avoid crime
  • Affects quality of life by increasing air pollution which kills 5,000 per year
• How Rio manages water pollution

  1. Adding 12 sewage works

  2. Fining ships for discharge fuel

  However it is hard to manage as the amount of waste if huge and without removing it, the stratergies may not solve the issue of water polluted sources
• Water pollution in Rio

  • Caused by oil spills and big ships emptying excess fuels causing 50 tonnes of waste in the sea each day
  • Affects quality of life as it threatens wildlife and pollutes beaches so less tourists and a negative effect on the economy
• How Rio manages water disposal

  Catadores collect rubbish for money

  However it is hard to manage as waste trucks can't fit on narrow roads and an increasing population leads to more waste
• Water disposal in Rio

  • Caused by only 10% of Rio's waste being recycled with 96% of it going to 2 landfills
  • Affects quality of life by polluting water sources in favelas causing diseases
• Formal employment sector


  • Legal
  • Fixed wages and law controlled hours
  • Often for large transnational companies
  • Get sick and holiday pay
  • Tax is paid to the government
• Informal employment sector


  • Illegal
  • Uncertain wages and irregular hours
  • Self employed
  • No sick or holiday pay
  • No tax paid to government
  • Worth £170 billion
• Population distribution of the UK

  • Very uneven
  • Affected by the relief of the land
• Upland regions like the north of Scotland

  • Sparsely populated
  • Difficult to farm
  • Few natural resources
• Coastal areas


  • Lots of human settlement
  • Ports like Liverpool and Cardiff
  • Increase the economy's wealth
• Mineral wealth


  • Population growth in Newcastle and Leeds
  • Many industries developed
• Urban areas


  • Developed in lowland areas like Birmingham
  • Easier to build
  • Milder climate