G3 - Challenges of an Urbanising World

• Urbanisation


  The growth in the proportion of a country's population living in urban areas.
• Megacity


  A city with a population of over 10 million people. This is due to high rate of urbanisation
• FACTORS that have led to urbanisation and megacities:

  • Migration - rural to urban (for better quality of life)
  • Natural increases - better healthcare in urban areas
  • Location - good location for trade e.g. coast --> trade can thrive
  • Economic development - economic growth --> more jobs
• Primate city 


  A city that dominates the country and play a disproportionate role in global affairs. --> (something like a main city)
• Primate city influence the country economically:

  • Investment in infrastructures and services
  • Migration - more jobs, higher paid jobs for high skilled workers
  • Transport - international ports and airports
• Primate city influence the country politically:

  • Government and the headquarters (TNC Headquarters)
  • They located there for decision making
• World city


  It is a city that has global importance and influence greater than their size suggests

  • TNC hedquarters are based in world city where economic activity takes place
  • Government have control of powerful military resources which are used to resolve conflicts
• Two types of migration:

  • National migration - move to a city in the same country
  • e.g. rural-urban migration
  • International migration - move from one country to a city in another country
• Migration is affected by push and pull factors:
• Pull factors

  • More employment/ higher wages
  • Better standard of life
  • Better healthcare/ education
  • safe place (little crime)
  • Cleaner environment
• Push factors

  • Shortage of jobs/low wages
  • Poor environment
  • Natural disaster
  • War
  • Poor healthcare/ education
  • Poor standard of living
• Cities in developing countries are growing. This is because:

  • Rural areas are very poor, so people move to the cities in search of better opportunities.
  • Expansions of secondary industry - creating more jobs. E.g. Kampala
• Cities in emerging countries are growing and some have stabilising populations.

  • Some cities have become industrial centres  and some have an expanding service sector, so there are plenty of jobs available. 
  • As countries get wealthier, they are investing in flagship projects, e.g. sports stadiums, which attracts foreign investment - more jobs. E.g. New Delhi
• Cities in developed countries have stable populations and others are declining.

  • Deindustrialisation has led to the decline of industrial areas - people move away to find work elsewhere. E.g. New York City or Detroit
• Formal employment:

  • agreed in a contract
  • regular income
  • safe working conditions
  • legal standards
  • officially recognised
• Informal employment:

  • No contract
  • small wage
  • limited health regulations
  • unofficial
• Suburbanisation:

  from the inner city to the outskirts of the city where suburbs have been created to provide affordable and cleaner living environments. 
• Counter-urbanisation:

  people move from urban areas into surrounding countryside or rural areas.
• Regeneration:

  restoring or improving an area after deindustrialisation. 
• Deindustrialisation is when the city starts to decline.

  This is a result of technological change, failure to invest or competition from other countries.
• Re-urbanisation:

  people moving back to the city.
• Burgess Model

  
• CBD (central business district):

  • commercial and public buildings
  • high density buildings
  • meeting of major roads
• Inner city:

  • mainly residential (low-class housing)
  • older industry
  • larger factory
• Suburbs:

  • mainly residential
  • short, curved streets
• Rural-urban fringe:

  • mix of commercial business park and residential (high-clss housing)
  • more greenspace
  • Larger office buildings or shopping centres
• Land use is influenced by:

  • Accessibility
  • city centres - very accessible
  • main train and bus station
  • Planning regulations
  • made by local councils or government
  • Availability
  • Cost of land
• The limitations of the Burgess Model are:

  • The model is now quite old and was developed before the advent of mass car ownership.
  • New working and housing trends have emerged since the model was developed. Many people now choose to live and work outside the city on the urban fringe - a phenomenon that is not reflected in the Burgess model.
  • Every city is different - there is no such thing as a typical city.