Topic 6: Urban environments
What students need to learn
Key ideas Detailed content
6.1 A growing a) Contrasting trends in urbanisation over the last 50 years in
percentage of the different parts of the world, including the processes of
world’s population suburbanisation and counter-urbanisation. (1)
lives in urban areas
b) Factors affecting the rate of urbanisation and the emergence of
megacities.
c) Problems associated with rapid urbanisation: congestion,
transport, employment, crime and environmental issues. (2)
6.2 Cities face a range of a) Factors affecting urban land use patterns: locational needs,
social and accessibility, land values. (3)
environmental
b) Urban challenges in a named developed country : food,
challenges resulting
energy, transport and waste disposal demands, concentrated
from rapid growth
resource consumption, segregation. (4)
and resource
demands c) Urban challenges in a named developing country or
emerging country : squatter settlements, informal economy,
urban pollution, and low quality of life.
Case studies of urban environments in a developed country and a developing country or an
emerging country.
6.3 Different strategies a) Development of the rural-urban fringe: housing estates, retail,
can be used to business and science parks, industrial estates, and the
manage social, greenfield versus brownfield debate.
economic and
b) The range of possible strategies aimed at making urban living
environmental
more sustainable and improving the quality of life (waste
challenges in a
disposal, transport, education, health, employment and
sustainable manner
housing) for the chosen urban environment. (5)
c) Role of different groups of people (planners, politicians,
property developers and industrialists) in managing the social,
economic and environmental challenges in the chosen urban
area.
Integrated skills
(1) Use world maps to show the trends in urbanisation over the last 50 years.
(2) Interpret photographs and different maps (paper or online) to investigate the impacts of
rapid urbanisation.
(3) Use satellite images to identify different land uses in the chosen urban environment.
(4) Use and interpret socio-economic data.
(5) Use quantitative and qualitative information to judge the scale in variations in
environmental quality.
Pearson Edexcel International GCSE in Geography – Specification – 25
Issue 3 – March 2018 © Pearson Education Limited 2018
,Urbanisation
,
,
What students need to learn
Key ideas Detailed content
6.1 A growing a) Contrasting trends in urbanisation over the last 50 years in
percentage of the different parts of the world, including the processes of
world’s population suburbanisation and counter-urbanisation. (1)
lives in urban areas
b) Factors affecting the rate of urbanisation and the emergence of
megacities.
c) Problems associated with rapid urbanisation: congestion,
transport, employment, crime and environmental issues. (2)
6.2 Cities face a range of a) Factors affecting urban land use patterns: locational needs,
social and accessibility, land values. (3)
environmental
b) Urban challenges in a named developed country : food,
challenges resulting
energy, transport and waste disposal demands, concentrated
from rapid growth
resource consumption, segregation. (4)
and resource
demands c) Urban challenges in a named developing country or
emerging country : squatter settlements, informal economy,
urban pollution, and low quality of life.
Case studies of urban environments in a developed country and a developing country or an
emerging country.
6.3 Different strategies a) Development of the rural-urban fringe: housing estates, retail,
can be used to business and science parks, industrial estates, and the
manage social, greenfield versus brownfield debate.
economic and
b) The range of possible strategies aimed at making urban living
environmental
more sustainable and improving the quality of life (waste
challenges in a
disposal, transport, education, health, employment and
sustainable manner
housing) for the chosen urban environment. (5)
c) Role of different groups of people (planners, politicians,
property developers and industrialists) in managing the social,
economic and environmental challenges in the chosen urban
area.
Integrated skills
(1) Use world maps to show the trends in urbanisation over the last 50 years.
(2) Interpret photographs and different maps (paper or online) to investigate the impacts of
rapid urbanisation.
(3) Use satellite images to identify different land uses in the chosen urban environment.
(4) Use and interpret socio-economic data.
(5) Use quantitative and qualitative information to judge the scale in variations in
environmental quality.
Pearson Edexcel International GCSE in Geography – Specification – 25
Issue 3 – March 2018 © Pearson Education Limited 2018
,Urbanisation
,
,
