Urban Environments

IB Grade 12 optional theme

Main case-studies
Shanghai
London
Dhaka

Define Urbanisation
Urbanisation or urbanization is
the growth of urban areas population
as a result of rural migration and
even suburban concentration into
cities, particularly the very largest
ones.
HOW DOES THIS DIFFER FROM
URBAN GROWTH?
WHY DOES IT TAKE PLACE?

Urbanisation
Growth in the percentage of the
population living in urban areas
Urban Growth
Growth in the size of cities

 7 billion people in the world

How many people live in cities?
Only 28.8% of the world's population
lived in urban areas in 1950. Today, just
over 50% do, and the United Nations
projects that almost 69% will by 2050,
when the population is expected to
reach 9.3 billion. The number of people
who live in cities by then will almost
equal today's world population.

Cities became centres of production, as manufacturing

increased rapidly and employment in agriculture decreased.

Manchester Cottonopolis The first industrial city

Urbanisation and the Population Explosion

Now we can see global levels of urbanisation. NICs and
LEDCs are urbanising at a very fast rate.

Combination of
Natural increase and
Rural to Urban
migration.
Dhaka Bangladesh
1950 417,000
1975 2.1 million
2000 12.5 million
2015 - 22.7 million

Other key terms

Counter-urbanisation
Re-urbanisation
Suburb
Suburbanisation
Urban Sprawl
Megacity
500

Different forces
Urbanisation rates are therefore
much higher in LEDCs (and NICs)
than MEDCs, for many reasons
MEDCs main urbanisation was during
the period of the industrial revolution
There are different forces
centripetal and centrifugal

Mumbai - India

TASK
Discuss in what ways may
urbanisation differ in ELDCs and
EMDCs?
Questions page 502

Rural to urban migration

Urban Processes can be seen as

inward and outward movements
Inward Movement (Centripetal)
Rural to urban migration,
gentrification, re-urbanisation, urban
renewal

Outward Movement (Centrifugal)

Suburbanisation, urban sprawl,
counter-urbanisation
Pages 508-

Consequences
There are differing growth rates in
LEDCs and MEDCs
Both suffer from different problems
because of this
Discuss what they may be

LEDCs Centripetal
movements

Huge growth
Shanty towns
Population structures
Employment
Primate cities

Megacities intro
http://
www.theguardian.com/cities/2015/jan/28/china-pearl-rive
r-delta-overtake-tokyo-world-largest-megacity-urban-are
a
Read pages 507-508; qs page 508
Slumming It

Implications of urbanisation in
LEDCs and NICs
Urbanisation is most rapid in LEDCs and NICs because
of high natural increase and rural to urban migration.
Dont forget there are many large cities in the world of
over 2 or 3 million inhabitants.
These cities face the same problems that cities in
MEDCs faced in the nineteenth century. BUT they are not
in the same position that the UK was to face the
challenge.

What is it like in the squatter settlements?

Describe one of these houses. Include what it is made from and what it is
like inside.

Display the information as a star diagram use pages 509-511 to help

Characteristics of Shanty Towns

They often grow very quickly because of the demand for cheap housing
The develop on unoccupied land - the residents become squatters
They are found on the edges of cities in LEDCs
Housing is made from ANY available cheap materials (eg packing cases,
cardboard, corrugated iron, wood, plastic sheeting etc)
Sanitation and supplies of gas, electricity and running water often do not
exist.
Diseases spread easily
Overcrowding is common
Roads are generally unmade
Sometimes the authorities move in and attempt to bulldoze them without
warning

Self Help Scheme

Although shanty towns are illegal the government struggle to deal with
them as there are so many. One solution is to get the inhabitants to build
new houses themselves. The government supply all the materials and put in
basic services.

Squatter Settlements
Residential areas which have developed without legal
claims to the land and/or permission from the concerned
authorities to build; as a result of their illegal or semi-legal
status, infrastructure and services are usually inadequate.
30% of the urban population of the world live in squatter
settlements. 1 billion people!
http://www.ted.com/talks/robert_neuwirth_on_our_shadow_
cities.html
This animation shows how squatter settlements are
upgraded over time.
http://www.sln.org.uk/geography/geoweb/blowmedown/shanty05.swf

Is it possible that squatter settlements, shanty

towns, bustees, favelas, slums are part of the
solution?
Or perhaps is it true that they are a potent symbol
of the failure of society to address the basic
needs of the majority and it must be the
responsibility of the public sector to provide
housing for its citizens?

Slums of hope or slums of despair?

Slum Cities Dharavi in India

Problems of the informal economy

No
money
Low
profit

No
investment
Low
output

Case- Study - Shanghai

http://shanghai17.jimdo.com/slums/
http://streetsofshanghai.pbworks.
com/w/page/18638706/The%20Chinese
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j
y_M70KJwV0

Case study Shanghai

MEDCs
Main terms:
Urban Decay
Urban renewal
Gentrification
Counter urbanisation
Suburbanisation, urban sprawl, re-urbanisation
Decentralisation
Exurbanisation
Urban blight
Conurbation
Urban village
511-521

MEDCs Centifugal
Movements
Slower growth rates
Urban decay
Inward (centripetal) movement
Urban renewal/ gentrification

Outward (centrifugal) movement

Suburb/ counterurbanisation
Urban Sprawl

Reasons for counter-urbanisation

Increased car ownership

Increased wealth
De-industrialisation
Relocation of industry/employment to rural urban fringe
Desire for safe, pleasant environment, the rural
ideal/utopia
Perception of urban areas as dangerous, high levels of
crime, racial/ethnic problems
Change in tenure from public/renting to private
ownership. Sell property and move out.

Counter-urbanisation
People move to satellite settlements within the
citys sphere of influence
Increased numbers of people commuting to
work in the city
Increased car use
Transport triangle becomes bigger
Rural areas become suburbanised
Rural areas can become commuter /dormitory
settlements
Rural areas within a citys sphere of influence
can develop

Reason for re-urbanisation

Parts of urban areas which have declined but
still have an intrinsic value because of centrality
or quality of housing stock attract people
Government sees urban decline as a problem
and invests money to regenerate an area
Prestige project Olympics
Tertiary sector increases, restaurants, nightclubs
and retailing attracting people

Re-urbanisation
Cities become centres of consumption
Gentrification Richer people moving into
poorer areas
Run-down derelict parts of cities can be
redeveloped
Increased economic activity within cities
Cities reinvent themselves as exciting vibrant
places to live

Reasons for suburbanisation

Rapid urban growth leads to new residential
areas being built in suburbs
Social problems and overcrowding in inner city
areas cause richer people to move to suburbs
Improving public transport
Linked to de-industrialisation such as
shipbuilding, warehouses or factories closing
Definition Suburbanisation is the increase in the numbers of
people living in the residential areas near the edge of the city
(suburbs) leading to the outward growth of urban areas.

Suburbanisation
Urban sprawl
Separate smaller settlements merge into larger
multi-centric conurbations
Pressure on rural/urban fringe
Increased segregation
A vicious circle of decline in inner city areas.
Donut cities

MEDCs
Main problems/ issues resulting from
these?
Questions 1,2,3,5,11,16 page 521