Urbanisation

What is urbanisation?

Urbanisation is the movement of people from rural areas to live in cities or urban areas.

In more economically developed countries (MEDCs) this happened around the time of the Industrial Revolution (1780 to 1900).

But in less economically developed countries (LEDCs) this really began to occur from 1950 onwards and is continuing.

Since 2007, for the first time in human history more people are living in cities than in rural areas and this will continue. 

Answer the following questions using the evidence

To do: Introduction to urbanisation questions

  1. Define urbanisation in your own words

  2. What are the main causes of urbanisation?

1. Push factors & pull factors

People move to the city for a range of reasons.

Push factors are factors that cause them to leave the rural regions

Pull factors attract them to the city.

To do: The push and the pull questions

  1. What is a push factor?

  2. Give five examples of push factors

  3. What is a pull factor?

  4. Give five examples of pull factors

Extra: What do migrants know more about, the push or the pull factors?

2. World urbanisation

Around the world one million people move to an urban area every week.

As a result, most countries have a larger percentage of people living in the city than in rural areas

To do: World urbanisation questions

  1. List the regions where the majority of people are urban (living in towns and cities)

  2. Which countries are still majority rural?

    Explain why you think these countries are still majority rural

Extra: What type of economy do the majority urban countries have?

3. Share of country population living in urban areas

The share of a country’s population living in urban areas affects its economy by increasing access to jobs, education, and services, boosting productivity. Countries with high rates of urbanisatioon generally live longer, have higher incomes and levels of education. Urbanisation is linked to higher rates of economic growth.

However rapid urbanisation also leads to challenges like housing shortages, inequality, and pollution.

To do: Country urbanisation % questions

  1. List five countries with a high level of urbanisation (including the percentage)

  2. List five countries with with a low level of urbanisation (including the percentage)

  3. Which large country has not fully urbanised yet?

Extra: Why have the low urbanisation countries not urbanised yet?

2. Challenges of urbanisation

1. LEDC urbanisation challenges

Although the process of urbanisation happens in both MEDCs and LEDCs, the fastest-growing cities in the world are in less economically developed countries (LEDCs). LEDC's are urbanising rapidly and this brings challenges for those countries.

There are many problems associated with the rapid growth. These include unplanned housing (squatter settlements/slums), dealing with urban waste, pollution and stress on the inadequate infrastructure and city services.

To do: The challenges of LEDC urbanisation questions

  1. Make a list of the challenges of urbanisation for city planners in LEDC’s

  2. Define a squatter settlement

2. The challenge of unplanned housing

The rapid growth of cities in LEDCs means available housing and services such as electricity, sanitation and water are not available. In response, people build unplanned housing or slums.

Problems faced by slum residents

  • Lack of services - services are poor, public transport is limited and connections to the electricity supply can be limited and sometimes dangerous. Lack of safe drinking water and poor sanitation leads to disease.

  • Overcrowding - the settlement has a high population density and does not have enough resources to support the growing population.

  • Fires - people use fires to cook and fires can spread quickly.

  • Competition for jobs - jobs are in short supply.

  • Disease - poor sanitation and limited health care can lead to the spread of disease.

  • Lack of space - the newest and poorest arrivals may be forced to live on the worst quality land.

To do: Letter to the Mayor

  1. Imagine you are a slum resident. Write an email to the city council describing the conditions of people living in your slum.

3. LEDC urbanisation fieldwork

Kibera is a slum in the city of Nairobi (Kenya) with a population of approximately 170,000 - 250,000 people

To do: Kibera street survey

Have a walk around Kibera slum and complete the street survey questions:

  1. What are the main building materials?

  2. Do the residents have electricity?

  3. Describe the sanitation in Kibera

  4. What are the risks associated with this?

  5. How do people get water?

  6. What type of shops are in this area of the slum.

4. Urbanisation in an LEDC

Use the following information to create a country profile of an urbanising LEDC

Hint: Choose and LEDC from this list of the countries with the fastest urbanisation rates.                 

  1. Include map of your country

  2. What is the official language and how do you say hello?  

  3. List five (5) fun facts about your chosen country include some pictures

  4. What is the country’s total population?

  5. What is the urbanised population of your country (include a graph)

  6. What is the urbanisation rate?

  7. What is the name of your country’s largest city and what is its population? (Include some pictures)

  8. What is the country’s birth rate? (How many babies are born to each woman)  

  9. What is the life expectancy of people in the country? (How long can people expect to live on average)

  10. What is the country’s literacy rate?  (What does this measure?)

  11. What is the GDP per person?

3. Mega City Mayor

You are the mayor of city that is about to go Mega.

How will you ensure the health and living standards of your citizens?

What do you think will be the greatest challenges?

Create a slide show that examines the challenges and opportunities of urbanisation for your rapidly growing city.

To do: Rapidly growing city. Challenges and opportunities

  1. Briefly outline the factors that are causing people to move to your city (The Push)

  2. Briefly outline the factors that are drawing people to your city (The Pull)

  3. List and describe the social, environmental and economic problems that have resulted from your cities rapid urban growth.

  4. Suggest solutions to four of these issues 

Note: Remember to consider that rapidly growing cities are potentially a good problem to have. People are moving for opportunity and a better life, something they believe your city offers.