Urbanisation

Urban Growth

Urbanisation is the growth in the proportion of a country’s population living in urban areas
The rate of urbanisation differs between countries that are richer and those that are poorer
- In ACs, urbanisation happened earlier than in LIDCs
ACs have a very slow rate of urban growth, and many people desiring a better quality of life are moving away from overcrowded cities to rural areas
- Good transport and communication networks mean that people in ACs can live in rural areas and commute to cities, or work from home
In LIDCs, not much of the population currently live in urban areas
- LIDCs have the fastest rate of urbanisation
In EDCs, the percentage of the population living in urban areas varies
- Some EDCs have rapid rates of urban growth
A megacity is an urban area with over 10 million people living there
- This can be a single city, or a conurbation – where neighbouring towns and cities have spread and merged together
In 1950, most of the biggest and most influential cities were in ACs
- There were only two megacities – Tokyo and New York
By 2014, there were 28 megacities and this number is still growing, its predicted to rise to 41 by 2030
- More than two-thirds of current megacities are in EDCs and LIDCs, mostly in Asia, such as Jakarta, Indonesia and Mumbai, India
A world city is a city that has an influence over the whole world
- Lots of people and goods from international destinations pass through them
- They also tend to be hubs of culture and science, with international media centres
In 1950, the only world cities were London, Paris, Tokyo and New York
The number of world cities has increased, but it is difficult to know exactly how many there are
- Most are still in ACs, but some are in EDCs, such as Dubai, Moscow and Rio de Janeiro

Urbanisation in LIDCs

Rural-urban migration is the movement of people from the countryside into the cities
The push factors prompt people to leave their rural area
- Natural disasters can damage property and farmland, which people can’t afford to repair
- Changes to the farms
  - Mechanisation of agricultural equipment means that farms require fewer workers, so there are fewer jobs
  - Declining income due to the falling price of agricultural produce
  - Overpopulation, leading to farms being broken up into smaller plots
- Drought can make the land unproductive, so people can no longer support themselves
- Conflict or war can cause people to flee
- Lack of access to services such as healthcare and education
- Poor transport networks
The pull factors prompt people to move to urban areas
- There are more jobs in urban areas that are often better paid
- Access to better healthcare and education
- To join other family member who’ve already left
- People believe they will have a better quality of life
Urbanisation is also cause by internal growth, which is when the birth rate is higher than the death rate
- The birth rate tends to be higher because it is usually young people moving to urban areas to find work; these people are starting to have families
- In LIDCs, better healthcare can be found in cities than in rural areas, meaning that people there have an increased life expectancy
The growing population can help to increase economic development however, very rapid growth puts pressure on cities which have economic consequences
- There may be high levels of unemployment, with not enough jobs to meet demand
- Lots of people work un the informal sector, where jobs aren’t taxed or regulated by the government
  - People often work long hours in poor conditions for poor pay
- People may not have access to education, so they are unable to develop skills necessary for a job
Waste disposal services, sewage systems and environmental regulations for factories can’t keep pace with the work leading to damaging environmental impacts
- Rubbish often isn’t collected, or it may end up in big rubbish heaps
- Sewage and toxic chemicals can get into rivers, harming wildlife
- The road system may not be able to cope with all the vehicles; congestion increases greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution
There are also severe social consequences of urbanisation
- Many people end up in squatter settlements that are badly built and overcrowded
- Infrastructure can’t be built fast enough so people often don’t have access to basic services, possibly leading to poor health
- There can be high levels of crime

Suburbanisation

Suburbanisation is the movement of people from city centres to the outskirt
The push factors prompt people to leave their area
- Urban areas can be overcrowded, polluted, have high crime rates and very little natural spaces
  - Some people believe that their quality of life is lower in the inner city than it would be in the suburbs
- As countries develop, governments often clear low-quality inner-city housing and move people to the suburbs
- Deindustrialisation in city centres leads to people losing employment, forcing them to search for new employment in new industrial areas
- Local shops and services may be forced to close as people’s spending power decreases; meaning those owners need to leave, and the residents have less facilities
The pull factors prompt people to move to suburbs
- Suburban areas can offer a lower population density, more open green spaces and a perception of increased safety
- Housing is more attractive in the suburb, with more relaxed planning laws and large plots of land and houses
- Improvements in public transport and increases in car ownership mean that people can easily commute into the city to work
- Rents are often cheaper outside the city, attracting businesses and tenants
Suburbanisation has economic consequences due to the reducing population of the city
- The decreased number of people living in the city may lead to local amenities being forced to close
- As businesses leave, unemployment increases, which leads to lower living standards and poverty
The environment may also suffer due to suburbanisation
- New housing estates are often built in the countryside, which affect wildlife habitats
- As urban areas spread, more ground is concreted over; this can increase surface runoff and the risk of flooding
- Most people in the suburbs own cars and may commute into the city to work; this means congestion increases, thereby causing air pollution
Socially, suburbanisation has consequences
- As people and businesses move to the suburbs, buildings in the city centre are abandoned and may become derelict; leading to the city centre becoming run down
- Wealthier middle-class people may move to the suburbs where there is a better quality of life; the people left behind are often poorer, and often foreign immigrants, leading to economic and ethnic segregation

Counter-Urbanisation

Counter-urbanisation is the movement of people away from large urban areas to smaller settlements and rural areas
The push factors prompt people to leave their area
- Urban areas can be overcrowded, polluted, have high crime rates and very little natural spaces
  - Some people believe that their quality of life is lower in the inner city than it would be in the suburbs
- As countries develop, governments often clear low-quality inner-city housing and move people to the suburbs
- Deindustrialisation in city centres leads to people losing employment, forcing them to search for new employment in new industrial areas
- Local shops and services may be forced to close as people’s spending power decreases; meaning those owners need to leave, and the residents have less facilities
- Suburbs often have problems with traffic congestion and parking
- Housing in central urban areas and the suburbs is often very expensive; people feel they are not getting value for money and move further from the city, where prices are often lower
The pull factors prompt people to move to rural areas
- Houses are often bigger and have more outside space than those in the city centre and the suburbs
- Improved communication services make it easier for people to live in rural areas and work from home
- Improved communication services also mean that some companies no longer need to be in a city centre and can move to rural areas where land is cheaper; this creates jobs in rural areas
- Increased car ownership and improved public transport mean that people can live further from the city and commute to work
Counter-urbanisation has similar consequences on the cities as suburbanisation, as well as other consequences on the rural areas
The rural areas often benefit economically from the migration
- Some services in rural areas see an increase in business; this is because the newer residents are often professionals or retired people who have higher disposable incomes
- Some rural shops and services may close as wealthier residents who own cars are more likely to travel to use shops and services in urban areas
- Farmers can make money by selling unwanted land or buildings for housing
However, the consequences are also severe on the environment
- Most people in rural areas own a car, and the additional traffic causes an increase in congestion and air pollution
- New housing estates are often built in the countryside, which affect wildlife habitats
The social consequences on the rural areas are mixed
- In some villages, the existing houses are improved, but some developments affect the character of rural settlements
- It can lead to the creation of commuter settlements – where people live in rural areas but continue to work in the city
  - This may force shops and services in rural areas to close because of reduced demand – people spend most of their time away from the area at work
- There is more demand for houses, so house prices increase
  - Younger people may not be able to afford to buy a house, which can mean the population is dominated by older people
- Schools in rural areas may close if the new residents are older people rather than families with children
- Rural roads and infrastructure may struggle to cope with the additional traffic

Re-Urbanisation

Re-urbanisation is the movement of people back into urban areas
The push factors prompt people to leave their area
- There may be a lack of jobs in some rural or suburban areas
- Rural areas provide fewer leisure or entertainment facilities
- Counter-urbanisation may cause high house prices in rural areas
The pull factors prompt people to move to urban areas
- The movement of industry and businesses out of cities as a result of deindustrialisation may leave cities derelict
  - Government policies often favour redevelopment of brownfield sites in city centres over development of greenfield sites
  - People are attracted back into the city by new developments
- Most universities are based in urban areas so young people may move, and therefore stay there
- Young, single people often want to live close to work and entertainment
  - Notting Hill attracts young, affluent workers
- Once re-urbanisation has started, it tends to continue – as soon as a few businesses invest, and people start to return, others follow
Re-urbanisation has economic consequences
- As people move back into the city-centre, shops and services open, which boosts the city’s economy
- Jobs created may not benefit the original residents who may only be semi-skilled
- Tourism increases with improvements, so money is put into making the cities attractive
The environment is also affected by re-urbanisation
- Redeveloping brownfield sites rather than greenfield sites protects countryside wildlife habitats
- Some brownfield sites were derelict for a long period, so urban wildlife habitats are destroyed
Re-urbanisation often changes the areas socially
- The increase in business increases jobs, meaning less people turn to crime
- Local schools and private schools may benefit from the increased population
- Original residents may be unable to afford good housing as house prices increase, so they are pushed out
- Tension between original and new residents could lead to crime or violence
- Shops and services targeted to wealthier, newer, residents could put local shops out of business