Increase in the proportion of people living in urban areas
Settlement hierarchy
Megacity
City
Large town
Small town
Village
Hamlet
Isolated dwelling
Settlement hierarchy
As you go up, increase in size of settlement, larger population and more services
As you go down, decreases in frequency (amount)
Megacity
A city over 10 million population
Rise of megacities
1. In the 1950s New York and Tokyo were the only megacities, today there are 33 and by 2030 there will be more than 40
2. Megacities increase with technological advances, as well as global overcrowding
3. Before technology advances, higher populations were mostly in developed countries like France and England
4. Nowadays high population in urban cities in Asia and poorer countries as they catch up to technological advances
Land use models (Burgess and Hoyt)
Central business district (CBD)
Residential
Industrial
Detached house
Semi-detached
Terrace housing
Bungalow
Suburbs
Urban-rural fringe
Inner city
Burgess vs Hoyt land use models
Both agree the heart of the city is the CBD
Burgess thought city is layered in circles around CBD, Hoyt thought it was in wedges depending on transportation
Burgess believed houses got bigger, better, newer and more modern further from CBD
Hoyt showed high class housing furthest from industry
Multiple Nuclei Model
Theory of urban development that suggests cities grow around multiple CBDs with different purposes
Multiple Nuclei Model
Strengths: Has multiple CBDs, explains suburb/satellite town development, more realistic assumptions
Weaknesses: Fails to explain slums and informal settlements
The difference between Dubai's landscape and environment between 2000-2005 and today is that it has transformed from a desert into an urban city with more buildings and settlements
Dubai's land use
Follows aspects of both Burgess and Hoyt models, but best fits the Multiple Nuclei Model with multiple CBDs
Port Talbot is on the West coast of Wales, surrounded by mountains on one side and water on the other, an industrial and coastal area with a mix of housing types
Port Talbot's land use
Follows some aspects of Burgess and Hoyt models, but not the Multiple Nuclei Model as it has only one CBD
Port Talbot is a linear town shaped by its coastal location with mountains
Comparing Dubai and Port Talbot
Similarity: Both cannot grow in a circle due to coastal location
Difference: Dubai has multiple CBDs, Port Talbot has one
Dubai is more modern than Port Talbot
Rapid urbanisation
Increase in the proportion of people living in urban areas, faster than governments can plan and prepare for
Mumbai is a city located on the West Coast of India
Reasons for Mumbai's growth
Fertility rate has decreased, so migration is the main cause
Positives of Mumbai's growth
Increase in skilled workforce attracting businesses
Increase in wealth used to improve sanitation
Negatives of Mumbai's growth
Increase in crime rates
Visual pollution from informal settlements
Overcrowded transport and lack of basic services
Health issues from pollution and lack of healthcare
Lack of education and employment opportunities
Push factors for rural-urban migration to Mumbai
Poor education
Unsafe housing
Low wages
No clean water
Subsistence farming
Lack of healthcare
Pull factors for rural-urban migration to Mumbai
Better education
Higher wages
Safer buildings
Consistent resources
Better healthcare
Better transport
Most migrants to Mumbai come from within Maharashtra, especially from rural areas, often for marriage or better jobs
Rapid urbanisation in Mumbai has led to overcrowding, with one CBD in old Mumbai that people still want to live near, causing urban stress and issues like increased slums, crime, and lack of services
Slums
Start as small, informal shelters made of random materials, then develop into multi-level concrete houses without legal utilities
Positives of slums
Little to no rent
Sense of community
Recycling
Negatives of slums
No hygiene
Very dangerous
Low incomes
Self-help scheme
Local authority provides residents with materials to construct permanent accommodation
Slums
Start as one level small shelter made of random materials like cardboard
After a while they start using more stable structure like wood and would build a small second level
They would also use their home to sell products
With more time they would have fully built concrete houses with around 3-4 levels but would not have any electricity or water systems from the government that is legal, which is why they would connect their own wires and use the local electricity illegally and use the local water which turns on in certain and specific times
Positives of slums
Little to no rent (as low as 185 rupees a month)
Sense of community
Recycling
Negatives of slums
No hygiene
Very dangerous
Do not earn a lot of money
Self Help Scheme
When the local authority provides local residents with the materials needed to construct permanent accommodation
Advantages of Self Help Scheme
Developing new skills for employability
Greater sense of community and people work with their neighbours
Residents will save costs on employing tradesmen
Disadvantages of Self Help Scheme
Progress can be slow as new skills are developed
The initial housing may be poorly constructed as residents are newly developing their skills
The last stages of housing will take the longest to construct
Neighbours will be expected to work on houses outside their normal jobs
Specialist tradesmen such as electricians would still be needed for certain jobs and costs may rise
New construction will require residents to take out a loan to pay back. They might even be expected to pay rent and taxes on the completed house
Some houses may be completely cleared to make way for wider roads, pipes, wire and infrastructure
The self help scheme is not the best option or the most efficient as it has more negatives than positives and would still cost a lot (for the electricians and the possible reconstruction)
The more suitable solution is to build simple houses that can rely on renewable energy to reduce the cost they would have to pay for things like electricity and running water
Problems of Bhendi Bazaar
No AC, no ventilation in the houses as they were built in the 1920s and were never renewed → become very hot in the summer
There is toilet sharing which is very unsanitary and becomes even worse with no ventilation
Poor electricity and no lifts
The houses are an old shell of a building, which makes it not stable and very dangerous
With that, they still share housing, all the houses are right on the street → adds a risk as there is a high crime rate as there are houses that are gang controlled
There is also almost constant noise pollution and chaos as it is a bazaar
With all that, people that still can't afford a home sleep on the pavement
Solution for Bhendi Bazaar
The government to demolish the old chawl buildings and completely replace them with a very modern skyscraper that would create more space in the area. The building's electricity would also be powered sustainably using solar energy
Social impacts of the solution
These new modern buildings will be great for the people that used to live in the chawls, the difference for them will be amazing as its a safe structure in which they will have access to water and electricity making the area safer as it would be breaking up the controlling gangs
However, people would also be unhappy to leave their original home
It would also change the community and people's relationship with each other
Economic impacts of the solution
This project would be pricey as with all these improvements and advancements to replace the chawls without receiving money/tax front the people that live in the area the government or the developer would have to pay for all of it
After they develop the area, the people that will get to move to the new buildings should start paying tax so that the water and electricity is still provided to them to make the buildings sustainable
It would also have to be expensive in the beginning like the cost of the solar panels and setting them up
The solution is important architecturally and also environmentally as the developers are trying to make the new buildings sustainable and environmentally friendly