Urban Issues And Challenges

• Urbanisation is the growth in the proportion of people living in urban areas

  Caused by natural increase, push factors and pull factors
• Rural-Urban Migration Push Factors

  • natural disasters
  • few jobs
  • desertification
• Rural-Urban Migration Pull Factors

  • more jobs, better paid jobs
  • better services - healthcare and education
  • other family members may live there
  • people think they'll have a better quality of life
• a megacity is a city with a population of over 10 million

  in 1975 there were only 4, now there's estimated to be 35
• Features of Sustainable Urban Living:

  • water and energy conservation
  • waste recycling
  • creating green space
• Water Conservation (Urban Sustainability)

  reduce the amount of water used

  • collecting rainwater for use on gardens/flushing toilets
  • installing toilets that flush less water
  • installing water metres so that people have to pay for the water that they use
  • encouraging people to use less water
• Energy Conservation (Urban Sustainability)

  Burning fossil fuels to generate power isn't sustainable because they'll run out. They also contribute to climate change. Energy conservation schemes reduce the use of fossil fuels

  • using renewable energy sources
  • encouraging people to make their homes more energy efficient
  • make sure all new homes meet energy efficiency requirements
  • encourage people to reduce car use
• Green Spaces (Urban Sustainability)

  • provide naturally cooler areas where people can relax in hot weather
  • encourage people to exercise more and to use alternative transport, making them healthier and less stressed
  • they make people feel happier by providing a break from the noise and bustle of the city
  • reduce air pollution by creating pockets of clean air
  • reduce flood risk due to reducing surface run-off when it rains
• Recycling (Urban Sustainability)

  • more recycling means fewer resources are used
  • less waste is produced, which reduces the amount that goes to landfill
  • decomposing landfill releases greenhouse gases

  Waste Recycling Schemes Include:

  • kerbside collections of recyclable materials
  • building recycling facilities to deal with larger items
  • websites where items are offered for free so they can be used by others instead of being thrown away
• Problems With Traffic Congestion

  • Environmental - lots of traffic increases air pollution and the release of greenhouse gases contributes to climate change
  • Economic - congestion can make people late for work and delay deliveries, causing companies to lose money
  • Social - higher chance of accidents, causes frustration for drivers, delays emergency vehicles, causes health issues for pedestrians and cyclists as they breathe in polluted air
• Reducing Traffic Congestion:

  using public transport

  managing traffic flow

  • pedestrianised shopping streets can keep traffic away from the city centre
  • bus priority lanes stop buses being held up in traffic, making them more attractive
  • parking restrictions to ensure cars don't block traffic flow on narrow roads
  • congestion charge discourages drivers from entering the city centre