Urbanisation theory
Urbanisation – growth in population of people living in urban areas
Around 55% of world lives in urban areas and its increasing
HICs have already experienced urbanisation so rate is low
LICS have increasing rates
Push factors (from rural)
Natural disasters are harder to recover from
Mechanised agriculture = loss of jobs
Desertification = land unproductive
Farmer income is unstable
Pull factors (to city)
More jobs
Better paying jobs
Better healthcare/ Education
Family
Better quality of life
Also natural increase as younger people are moving
Life expectancy is increased by better healthcare and access to healthcare
Megacities have more than 10 million residents e.g. Mumbai
Expected to increase number of megacities
Many are in LICS and NEEs
UK cities
Mainly in lowland (easier to build on and milder climate) with access to natural resources
e.g. coastal (ports etc) like Liverpool
mineral wealth = Newcastle and Leeds
Traffic management
Congestion issues = environmental issues, economic issues (late for work etc) and social
issues (more accidents and pollution affecting health)
Managing traffic flow
Ring-roads and pedestrianised shopping streets keep traffic away from centre
Bus lanes
‘urban clearways’ are major roads with no or limited parking
Congestion charges (in Durham decreased number of cars by 85%)
Sustainable urban living
Living in a way that lets people meet their needs now but without reducing future
generation’s ability to do the same
Big cities are unlikely to be fully sustainable
Urbanisation – growth in population of people living in urban areas
Around 55% of world lives in urban areas and its increasing
HICs have already experienced urbanisation so rate is low
LICS have increasing rates
Push factors (from rural)
Natural disasters are harder to recover from
Mechanised agriculture = loss of jobs
Desertification = land unproductive
Farmer income is unstable
Pull factors (to city)
More jobs
Better paying jobs
Better healthcare/ Education
Family
Better quality of life
Also natural increase as younger people are moving
Life expectancy is increased by better healthcare and access to healthcare
Megacities have more than 10 million residents e.g. Mumbai
Expected to increase number of megacities
Many are in LICS and NEEs
UK cities
Mainly in lowland (easier to build on and milder climate) with access to natural resources
e.g. coastal (ports etc) like Liverpool
mineral wealth = Newcastle and Leeds
Traffic management
Congestion issues = environmental issues, economic issues (late for work etc) and social
issues (more accidents and pollution affecting health)
Managing traffic flow
Ring-roads and pedestrianised shopping streets keep traffic away from centre
Bus lanes
‘urban clearways’ are major roads with no or limited parking
Congestion charges (in Durham decreased number of cars by 85%)
Sustainable urban living
Living in a way that lets people meet their needs now but without reducing future
generation’s ability to do the same
Big cities are unlikely to be fully sustainable
