Lesson 1: Introduction to

Urban Geography
Lecturer/Instructor: Genesis Gamaliel R. Montecino, LPT
Lesson Objectives:
• Define Urban Geography;
• Discuss the meaning of Urban Geography and its
importance; and
• Explain the role of Urban Geography in understanding
cities.
The Rise of Shenzen
Urbanization defined
• Urbanization means an increase in the proportion of
people living in urban areas compared to rural areas. An
urban area is a built-up area such as a town or city. A
rural area is an area of countryside. As a country
industrializes, the number of people living in urban areas
tends to increase. It is the growth of cities, brought about
by a population shift from rural areas and small
communities to large ones, and the change from a largely
agricultural economy to an industrial one. This results in
the development of cities and towns on formerly
agricultural or natural lands.
Urbanization defined
• Urbanization is the movement of population from rural to urban areas and
the resulting increasing proportion of a population that resides in urban
rather than rural places.
• Thompson Warren (Encyclopedia of Social Sciences) has defined it as “the
movement of people from communities concerned chiefly or solely with
agriculture to other communities, generally larger whose activities are
primarily centered in government, trade, manufacture, or allied interests”.
• According to Anderson (1953:11), urbanization is not a one-way process but
it is a two-way process. It involves not only movement from villages to cities
and change from agricultural occupation to business, trade, service and
profession, but it also involves change in the migrants’ attitudes, beliefs,
values and behaviour patterns. He has given five characteristics of
urbanization: money economy, civil administration, cultural changes, written
records and innovations.
Criteria to decide if the city is
Urban
For the Census of India 2011, the definition of urban area is
as follows:
1. All places with a municipality, corporation, cantonment
board or notified town area committee, etc.
2. 2. All other places which satisfied the following criteria:
a) A minimum population of 5,000;
b) At least 75% of the male main working population
engaged in non-agricultural pursuits; and
c) A density of population of at least 400 persons per sq.
km.
Causes of Urbanization
1. Growing Industrialization
2. Population pressure
3. Employment opportunities
4. In hope of better standard of living
5. Decrease in death rate and growing birth rate
6. In search of social mobility and fortune
Negative effects of Urbanization
1. Economical
a) Growing rift between rich and poor
b) Increased cost of living
c) Conflict over scare resources like land, water etc.
d) Decrees in agricultural productivity
2. Social
e) Growing criminalization in society
f) Overpopulation causing accommodation problem and problem of slum
g) Unemployment or underemployment
h) Providing basic amenities becoming a challenge
i) Change in structure of family system
Negative effects of Urbanization
3. Environmental
a) Pollution (Land, air, water)
b) Sewage and garbage management problems
b) Loss of habitat and Biodiversity
d) Loss of forest cover and depletion of wildlife
4. Health
a. Psychological problems like Stress
b) Spread of contiguous diseases
c) Drug abuse
d) Increase in lifestyle diseases
Postive effects of Urbanization
1. Economical
a. Growth of service sector-oriented economy over agricultural economy
b. Boost to Infrastructure development
c. Increased productivity and economic growth
d. Growth of trade and commerce
e. Growth of tourism
2. Social
a) Spread of education
b) Women empowerment and Gender Equality
c) Spread of Modern technology
d) Availability of medical facility and increase in life expectancy
e) Social and cultural integration
Positive effects of Urbanization
3. Political
a. Active involvement in politics
b. Increased public awareness
2021 Highly Urbanized Cities in
PH
For tomorrow:
Web-based research: Choose a city and bring in some basic demographics and
information that you can share in class about the city you chose.