Urban Futures

• Urbanisation

  Increase in the proportion of people living in urban areas such as towns or cities
• Megacity


  An urban area with over 10 million people living there
• More than two thirds of current megacities are located in either EDCs and LIDCs. The amount of megacities are predicted to increase from 28 to 41 by 2030
• World city


  Cities that are centres for trade and business. They hold global influence
• Push factors


  • Natural disasters
  • War and Conflict
  • Mechanisation
  • Drought
• Pull factors


  • More Jobs
  • Better education & healthcare
  • Increased quality of life
  • Following family members
• Suburbanisation


  The movement of people from city centres to the outskirts
• Environmental consequences of suburbanisation

  • New housing damages countryside and habitats
  • Increase of cars adds air pollution
• Economic consequences of suburbanisation

  • People leaves centres and they become deserted
  • Unemployment increases, which leads to poverty
  • Offices and businesses are abandoned
• Social consequences of suburbanisation

  • Economic and ethnic segregation
• Counter-urbanisation


  The movement of people from city centres to the outskirts
• Push factors for counter-urbanisation

  • Overcrowding and pollution
  • Unemployment increases
  • Deindustrialisation of centre
  • Traffic congestion increases CO²
• Pull factors for counter-urbanisation

  • Green spaces & family friendly
  • New modern housing estates
  • Improved public transport
  • Rents cheaper on outskirts
• Rapid urbanisation


  The rapid growth of urban areas, often in less developed countries
• Social consequences of re-urbanisation

  • Shops and services benefit from the additional residents
  • Increase in tension between new and older residents
  • House prices in redeveloped areas increase
  • Schools benefit from the increase of students
  • More jobs and less employment within the area
• Environmental consequences of re-urbanisation

  • Redevelopment of brownfield sites improves old industrial and polluted areas
  • Decreases pressures on greenfield areas
  • Could destroy urban wildlife
• Economic consequences of re-urbanisation

  • New shops and services will improve local economy
  • Jobs available may not be accessible to original residents
  • Urban tourism may increase
• Push factors for re-urbanisation

  • Lack of jobs in rural and suburban areas
  • Less leisure and entertainment in rural areas
  • Counter-urbanisation may have increased house prices
• Pull factors for re-urbanisation

  • Redevelopment of brownfield sites with improved housing
  • Young people are attracted to the Universities
  • People are attracted to entertainment facilities available
• Social consequences of rapid urbanisation in LIDCs

  • Little official housing available
  • Infrastructure struggles to support growing population
  • Increase in crime rates
• Environmental consequences of rapid urbanisation in LIDCs

  • Rubbish may not be collected
  • Sewage and toxic waste pollutes river environments
  • Increased congestion produces more pollution
• Economic consequences of rapid urbanisation in LIDCs

  • May not be enough jobs – increased unemployment
  • Informal sector increases
  • Little access to education and healthcare
• Greenbelt area


  A zone of land surrounding a city where new building is strictly controlled to try to prevent cities growing too much and too fast
• Many commonwealth populations, such as India, moved to Birmingham during the 1950s. The city is also home to a large Irish community from the mid 21st century, as well as Polish, Ukrainian & Hungarian refugees who arrived after WWII