Factors leading to urbanisation

• Economic factors leading to urbanisation:

  1. Structural job changes
  2. Industrialisation
  3. More developed infrastructure
  4. Cost of land
  5. Better connectivity in urban areas
  6. Affordable housing
  7. Informal sector
• Economic factors - Structural job changes:

  • Changes in economy led to ↑ in manufacturing employment & decline in primary jobs > people move to urban areas for employment > ↑ population (NEES e.g. China)
• Economic factors - industrialisation:

  • Industrialisation has led to ↑ in industrial hubs and growth of cities (NEES e.g. China)
• Economic factors - More developed infrastructure:

  • Urban areas e.g. London seen ↑ the development of infrastructure e.g. HS2 should develop economies of the UK's northern cities to encourage economic development
• Economic factors - cost of land:

  • In some urban areas the cost of land is very high and ↑ (HICS)
  • In some areas land cost is low due to previous lack of demand (LICS/NEES) > opportunities for property developers and businesses to build e.g. LA where huge suburbanisation occurred which led to urban sprawl due to low cost of land
• Economic factors - better connectivity in urban areas:

  • Improved transport leads to further economic development and employment opportunities
• Economic factors - Affordable housing:

  • Affordable housing schemes linked to urban regeneration are designed to include a significant proportion of affordable housing > prevent displacement of lower income groups
• Economic Factors - Potential to earn money in the informal sector:

  • (LICS) 'hyper-urbanisation' > economic growth not occurring at same rate as population growth > many work in informal sector which attracts people from rural areas
• Social factors leading to urbanisation:

  1. New employment opportunities
  2. Geographical and social mobility
  3. Rural to urban migration
  4. Attraction of digital businesses to urban areas
  5. Opportunities for housing investment
  6. Attraction of urban areas to young, mobile populations
• Social factors - new employment opportunities:

  • These have arisen due to gov policies, investment, developments in infrastructure and improved connectivity
• Social factors - geographical and social mobility:

  • Opportunities to move around a country and between countries due to improvements in connectivity and transport
  • People can now better themselves through education, training and career development and so can aspire to employment in cities
• Social factors - Rural to urban migrations:

  • (LICS/NEES) Pull factors of the city via employment and the push factors from rural areas due to mechanisation, population pressures and rural poverty
• Social factors - attraction of digital businesses to urban areas:

  • young skilled people start up new businesses in ICT and related sectors e.g. Silicon Roundabout
• Social factors - opportunities for housing investment:

  • More people to buy or rent in newly developed residential areas > influx of wealthier people into former lower income area > gentrification (HICS)
• Social factors - attraction of urban areas to young mobile populations:

  • employment opportunities, education provisions e.g. unis, services, healthcare and entertainment choices led to a rise in young people (LICS/NEES/HICS)
• Environmental factors leading to urbanisation:

  • Regeneration schemes - made urban areas more attractive
  • Reimaging - urban area's image transformed via place marketing strategies to improve reputation and attract people
• Demographic factors leading to urbanisation:

  • Population growth via natural increase > 20/40-year-olds move to cities (LICS/NEES) > natural increase > population growth > also life expectancy so contribute to natural increase
• Political factors leading to urbanisation:

  • Planning decisions, improving land use, and making urban areas more attractive e.g Olympic Park