Urban change and issues

• Urbanisation is the process by which an increasing percentage of a country's population comes to live in towns and cities
• Urbanisation varies across the globe, with high income countries (HICs) showing the highest levels and the lowest levels being in Africa and SE Asia
• More people now live in towns and cities than in rural areas
• World population doubled between 1950 and 2015, but the urban population more than trebled
• Reasons for increased urbanisation

  • Decline of industry in developed countries, as the industry moved overseas to newly emerging economies (NEEs) and low-income countries (LICs) to take advantage of a cheaper workforce, government incentives, tax breaks, etc.
  • Industrial growth in NEEs and 'pulled' people from rural regions to urban areas, with the hope of a better life and employment
• Urbanisation pathway


  Countries become more urban as they develop economically
• Differences between LICs, NEEs and HICs can be shown as a pathway over time, with the pace through the stages slowing and flattening or declining as counter urbanisation gains speed
• HICs have lower rates of urbanisation as towns and cities already exist
• In 1900 there were just 2 'millionaire' cities (London and Paris), by 2018 this had grown to 512
• The term 'mega city' is used to describe cities with more than 10 million people - in 1970 there were only 4, by 2000 there were 15, and in 2018 that rose to 33 with Tokyo having close to 37.3 million people
• Due to modern transport and communication, urban areas are sprawling into rural regions
• Urbanisation pathway


  • Differences between LICs, NEEs and HICs can be shown as a pathway over time
  • The pace through the stages slows and flattens or will decline as counter urbanisation gains speed
• Urbanisation pathway


  Stages a country will pass through as economic development occurs
• HICs


  • Have lower rates of urbanisation as towns and cities already exist
• Mega city


  Urban areas with more than 10 million people
• In 1970 there were only 4 mega cities, by 2000 there were 15, in 2018 that rose to 33 with Tokyo having close to 37.3 million people
• Due to modern transport and communication, urban areas are sprawling into rural regions to create conurbations, further adding to the growth of urban areas
• Urban Trends in HICs & LICs

  • HICs: Slow or declining rate of urban growth
  • NEEs: Rapid rate of urban growth
  • LICs: The fastest rates of urbanisation
• HICs


  • UK, Germany, Japan, and America
• NEEs


  • India, Russia, Brazil and China
• LICs


  • Sub-Saharan countries such as Rwanda and Ethiopia and Asia such as Vietnam, Bangladesh and the Philippines
• Because the industrial revolution 'pulled' the population into developing urban areas at that time, nowadays, many people in HICs are being 'pushed' away from overcrowded cities to rural settlements
• HICs tend to have good transport and communication networks; therefore, people can live in rural areas and commute to cities or work from home
• Key trade hub cities are seeing greater growth than others due to investment from the government and TNCs
• Cities seeing greater growth

  • Lagos in Nigeria, Shanghai in China, Mumbai in India, Sao Paulo in Brazil and St Petersburg in Russia—none of these are the country's capital
• Asia is expected to contribute towards 60% of global growth by 2030
• Most new economic development is concentrated in the big cities through investment in low-cost manufacturing of textiles, garments and shoes
• Push-pull factors


  Lead to high rates of rural-to-urban migration
• Cities are experiencing higher levels of natural increase in population
• Main factors affecting the rate of urbanisation

  • Speed of economic development
  • Rate of population growth
• Economic growth drives urbanisation

  The faster the growth of secondary and tertiary employment sectors, the faster the growth of urbanisation
• Natural increase


  Accounts for roughly 60% of urban population growth due to decreased death rates and higher birth rates
• Natural increase does not include inward migration of people to a place, just the number of births vs number of deaths
• Push-pull factors


  • Social
  • Economic
  • Political
  • Environmental
• High levels of unemployment are a push factor, whereas higher wages and a better lifestyle are a pull factor
• Rural-urban migration is usually a combination of factors that cause people to migrate
• Megacities


  Urban areas with over 10 million residents
• In 2007, more people lived in an urban environment than a rural one, and by 2050 it is thought that more than two-thirds (7 billion) of the world population will live in urban areas
• The largest growth of megacities is seen in Asia
• Reasons for growth of megacities

  • Economic development
  • Population growth
  • Economies of scale
  • Multiplier effect