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Urbanization

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Urbanization – What is it?

• The movement of people from rural areas to urban settings;

• The physical expansion of towns and cities into rural areas.

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Good or Bad?

• The city is the site of much of society’s innovations and inventions;

• The city is the driving force in economic development;

• Political power and cultural opportunities are concentrated in the city

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But…

• Cities can be crowded, dirty, dangerous places to live.

• Breeding ground of anti-social behavior and environmental degradation.

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Different ModelsHong Kong

‘Boat People’

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Different ModelsBrazil

Favela seen from Copacabana Beach, Rio

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Rio de Janeiro

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Different ModelsAfrica

Kibera, Nairobi 700,000 people)

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Different ModelsBeijing

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World Urbanization

• In 1850, only 3% of world population lived in cities.• Today, half of the world’s population lives in urban

areas.• Urban Population Vs. Rural Population 1950 – 2030

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World Urbanization

• Urban growth has been particularly dramatic in the largest cities, especially in the developing world. A century ago, London was the only city

with more than 5 million people.- Over forty cities currently have

populations larger than 5 million.

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URBAN Versus RURAL

• HAMLET Less than 100 people

• VILLAGE Between 100 and 1000 people

- Ex. Aylesford, Tatamagouche

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URBAN• Statistics Canada considers any community with at

least 1000 people to be an urban community.

• TOWN Between 1000 and 10 000 people

- Ex. Windsor, Wolfville, Bridgewater, New Glasgow

• CITY Over 10 000 people

- Ex. Truro, Dartmouth

• METROPOLIS or METROPOLITAIN AREA Over 100 000 people

- Example: Halifax Regional Municipality, 360 000 people.

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• MEGA-CITY or MEGALOPOLIS over 10 000 000 people Ex. Tokyo, Los Angeles, Mumbai

• CONURBATION formed when separate cities and their suburbs grow into

each other, forming an even larger urban complex. • Ex: New York City, Washington, DC, Philadelphia,

Baltimore, Boston. “BosNyWash” All together they hold over 40 million people

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Population Pressure: Mexico City

• Watch the video and answer the questions on the handout.

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CAUSES OF URBAN GROWTH

• Two main avenues of urban growth: Natural Increase

- Fueled by improved food supplies and medical care.

Migration- Caused by push factors forcing people

out of the countryside, and pull factors drawing them into cities.

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Push factors leading to rural-urban migration in developing countries…

• Poverty and poor living conditions• Few job opportunities• Lack of educational opportunities• Medical facilities are rare• Most land is owned by landowners who pay

low wages

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Migration Pull Factors to the City

• Excitement and Vitality• Jobs• Housing• Entertainment• Social Mobility and Power• Specialization of Professions• Schools• Transportation

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Counterurbanization

• the process of people leaving cities to find a better lifestyle in the outer suburbs or rural areas.

• Most likely to occur in developed countries (MDCs).

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Push Factors from the city in MDCs

Quiet living More living space Cheaper land and homes Freedom/privacy Better air quality Smaller class sizes in schools Outdoor entertainment, hiking, hunting,

etc.

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CURRENT URBAN PROBLEMS

• Developing World Uncontrollable Growth

- Traffic and Congestion- Air Pollution- Sewer Systems and Water Pollution

Only 35% of urban residents in developing world have satisfactory sanitation.

About same percentage do not have safe drinking water.

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Current World Problems

• Housing At least 1 billion people live in slums of

central cities and in shantytowns in the outskirts of cities.

- Around 100 million people have no home at all.

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Current World Problems

• The Developed World Rapid growth of cities that accompanied

industrialization has mostly slowed or reversed.

- Many of the environmental problems have been reduced.

Many of major polluters have moved to developing countries.

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Developed World

• Urban Sprawl In most American

metropolitan areas, the bulk of new housing is in large, tract developments that leapfrog beyond city edges in search of inexpensive land.

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Urban Sprawl

• Because many Americans live far from work, they consider a private automobile essential. Average U.S. driver spends 443 hours per

year behind a steering wheel.- In some metropolitan areas, it is

estimated one-third of all land is devoted to automobile infrastructure.

Traffic congestion costs U.S. $78 billion annually in wasted fuel and time.

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Urbanization Quiz1. Why are people moving to cities?2. Do most of the people in the world today live in urban or

rural areas?3. Can cities adapt to this influx of people?4. Where will most of the world’s poor people live by 2050?5. Where do people who are moving to cities in search of

work but without any means end up living?6. What kinds of risks are people living in slums exposed to?7. Why can’t slum dwellers use their houses to obtain a loan

from the bank?8. What kinds of environmental hazards are poor people

exposed to?9. What countries have more traffic accidents-developed or

developing? Where do you think more people get hurt?10. What is the largest city in the world?