Location of urban settlements

Urbanization

Urbanization

It occurs when the proportion of urban population to total population increases.

Measures the % of total pop. It is a process by which the no.

of urban pop. increases while the rural pop. decreases.

Urban growth

It refers to the actual increase in the number of urban population.

Early Settlements

Iraq is pretty much where the first cities grew

The word 'Mesopotamia' is in origin a Greek name (mesos 'middle' and potamos 'river', so 'land between the rivers').

The Fertile Crescent

Jericho, which is in the middle of the Israel-Palestinian issues, is an OLD city May be as much as

9,000 years old!

The Indus Valley

Mohenjodaro and Harappa were major cities

Civilization from about 2500 BC to 1500 BC

The Nile Valley

The Egyptian civilization from about 3500 BC The pyramids of

Giza built at about 2500 BC

Causes of Urbanization

Rural-urban migration

Rural-urban migration

Movement of people from rural to urban areas

Causes:

-- Population growth

-- Expansion of urban areas

Why more people in the city?

This can be explained by push and pull factors.

Agricultural improvements

Farm mechanization Opening up of rural land for urba

n uses Food supply to cities Release of farm labour

Industrialization

Agglomeration economies Mushrooming of industries Large demand for labour

Market potential

Market-oriented locations for industries

Jobs attracting population Population = market

(snowballing effect)

Industrial growth in cities

Demand for labour in secondary industry

attracting more people to come to the cities rural-urban migration

urban growth/urbanization

greater demand for goods and services

growth of secondary and tertiary ind. to satisfy the demand

Snowballing Effect of industrialization and urbanization

Increased service activities

Higher standard of living Need for greater economic and

social organization Retailing, entertainment,

catering, administration Growth of urbanism

Transport improvements

Encourage the horizontal expansion of towns along major routes

Increase population mobility Facilitate rural-urban migration

Social and cultural attraction

Availability of social facilities, e.g. theatres, art galleries

Centre of urban life

Increased education

People become more knowledgeable, ambitious

Cities provide opportunities to satisfy personal contentment

Natural population growth

Migrants are of fertile age Greater wealth makes large

families more viable

Urbanization in developed countries

Higher level of urbanization Due to early industrialization Which led to rural-urban

migration Pull factors being more

important rate of urbanization slows down

as farm mechanization is almost complete

How do cities grow in developed countries?

Upward growth Outward growth

Upward growth of the city

Skyscrapers because of rising land price in

the city centre taller buildings can maximize

floor space made possible with the dev. of

lifts and better building materials

Outward growth of cities: Baltimore & Washington areas in US first took place along lines of

communication in a star or finger shape improvement in transport

people travel faster & live further from their place of work

areas between roads are filled in by settlement

Reasons for outward growth of cities(urban sprawl)

lack of land rising land price desire to have larger homes with gardens land price and rent is lower in outskirts of the city

(lower density housing suburbs) improvement in transport + higher level of car

ownership live in suburbs

HAMLET

VILLAGE

TOWN

CITY

MEGACITY

METROPOLISCONURBATION

MEGALOPOLIS

METROPOLIS

CONURBATION

CONURBATION

Hierarchy of urban settlements

Conurbation = large urbanized area

Megalopolis = joining of conurbation/many large cities

SANSANCHIPITTS

BOSNYWASH

Urbanization in developing countries

lower level of urbanization late urbanization (in the 20th century) result of rural-urban migration push factors being more important urbanization is not accompanied by industrialization slow growth of industry living standard remains low unemployment in cities and people living in poverty

Urban growth in developing countries

very rapid urban growth due to high natural increase +

rural-urban migration low level of urbanization increase of rural population

How do cities grow in developing countries?

concentrated in one single city

usually the capital city built by the Europeans

during the colonial rule primate city e.g. Manila

Slums

developed around the city margin with shanty settlements as government doesn’t have money to

build houses