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URBANIZATION
Noella Hofer
EDUB 4130
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 Lesson Outcomes
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• Examine the meaning and impact of urbanization

and the history of urban growth globally and in
Canada

• Examine urban sprawl and its impact

• Define counter-urbanization and why it is a

growing trend

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ClickUrban vs Rural
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Urban
Rural
• High population density
• Low Population density
• Population of 2500 or more
people – roughly 500 people per • Population of less than 1000
square kilometer

• Towns or cities

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What is Urbanization?

Urbanization is the process through which

cities grow, and higher and higher
percentages of the population comes to
live in the city.

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http://ourworldindata.org/grapher/urban-vs-rural
-majority?time=1984&country=~USA

• More than half of the world’s population (55%)

now live in urban areas, with that numbers
estimated to reach 68% by 2050

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Urbanization title style
in Canada

1891 Census
• At that time, 3.2 million people lived in
Canada, of whom 2.7 million (84%) lived in a
rural area.

• Now, over 80 per cent of Canadians live in

urban centres.
• It is more urbanized than the United States,
Norway, France and Germany, but less so than
countries such as Japan, Belgium, Australia,
Israel, the United Kingdom and Argentina.
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Decline of edit
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Population Canada

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 Push/Pull Factors
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• Pull factors are the attractive factors by which an individual is attracted to change his place of living.

• Push factors are those which motivate the people to leave an area

What are some push factors that you can think of for people to migrate away from rural areas?
What about pull factors that will motivate people to migrate into urban areas?

https://jamboard.google.com/d/11qwqNmUNQokNFPP2asFCKpkmLC
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Click to editFactors
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Push Factors Pull Factors

• Employment opportunities
• Lack of facilities/services
• Education
• Lack of employment and education opportunities
• Proximity to health care and other services
• Low standard of living
• More recreation and entertainment options
• Faster pace of life

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Click to edit MasterUrbanization
title style Impact
Pros:
• Employment Opportunities
• Access
• Economic benefits
• Efficiency/Convenience
• Social integration

Cons:
• Congestion
• Crime rates
• Environmental Consequences: air pollution, temperature increase,
Destruction of Natural Habitats of Flora and Fauna,
• Poor living conditions due to crowding
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 Urban
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the rapid expansion of the

geographic extent of cities and towns

caused in part by the need to

accommodate a rising urban
population; however, in many
metropolitan areas it results from a
desire for increased living space and
other residential amenities.

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 Urban Sprawl
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problem Master
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Sprawl
h t t p s : / / w w w. b r i t a n n i c a . c o m / e x p l o r e / s a v i n g e a r t h / u r b a n - s p r a w l

• U r b a n s p r a w l h a s b e e n c o r r e l a t e d w i t h i n c r e a s e d e n e rg y
u s e , p o l l u t i o n , a n d t r a ff i c c o n g e s t i o n a n d a d e c l i n e i n
community distinctiveness and cohesiveness.

• In addition, by increasing the physical and

environmental “footprints” of metropolitan areas, the
phenomenon leads to the destruction of wildlife habitat
and to the fragmentation of remaining natural areas .
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Counter-urbanization
In pairs, examine this word and discuss
what you think it means – What could
some of the reasons for counter-
urbanization be? (3 minutes)
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Counter-urbanization
Urban-rural migration

C o u n t e r- u r b a n i z a t i o n , o r
deurbanization, is a demographic and
social process whereby people move
from urban areas to rural areas.

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Would you prefer living in the city or the
countryside? (given the choice)
City Countryside

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 Counter-urbanization:
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Why?
Growing trend

 A new trend is emerging. More people, especially families, are moving out of congested
cities and flocking to rural areas.
The new trend that marks a reverse of the steady growth of urban populations is known
as counter-urbanization, or the flow of people out of cities to the countryside.

What are some reasons (push/pull) factors that people, especially those with families
might move from an urban centre into a rural area?

• Elbow room (space)

• Safety and security
• Grow your own food
• Less pollution/noise
• Slower, more mindful way of life
Counter-urbanization is a trend that the COVID-19 pandemic actually amplified
The impacts of COVID-19 have heightened de-growth and counter-urbanization trends.
Why do you think COVID-19 heightened counter-urbanization?

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Homework:
Discussion Post
Using what you know about urbanization and the case
studies in this lesson, write a discussion post in which you
identify TWO problems and TWO opportunities associated
with rapid urbanization around the world. In your discussion
post, be sure to cite specific examples to support your ideas.
Your examples may come from the lesson text, or you may
decide to explore other sources to learn more about
urbanization patterns. Describe what your stance on the
issue is.
400-500 words

Respond to two of your peer's discussion posts

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Thank
you!

Next class: Gentrification 19

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Sources

https://ourworldindata.org/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=tXNJa86tErQ

https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclop
edia/urbanization/
https://www.britannica.com/explore/savingearth
/urban-sprawl 20