Urban Poverty And

DeprivationIB SL

Quality Of Life

• There is a considerable variation of QOL in almost every city.

• QOL can be linked to equality, opportunity, and social justice.

• In all countries there are areas of deprivation, poverty, and exclusion.

• In MEDC’s these areas are usually found within the inner-city areas or ghettos.

• In LEDC’s these areas are usually located within shanty towns.

Measuring Deprivation

• Physical: Quality of housing, Pollution levels, Crime, Vandalism, Graffiti.

• Social Indicators: Crime (reported/fear of), Levels of health and access to healthcare, Standards of education, Proportion of population on subsidised benefits, Proportion of single parent families.

• Economic Indices: Access to employment, unemployment, underemployment, Levels of income.

• Political Measures: Opportunities to vote and take part in community organisation.

Slums And Squatter Settlements

• In 2001, 924 million people lived in slums.• This is 32% of the world’s total urban

population, but 78.2% of the urban population in LEDC’s.

• Slums are usually located in places that planners don’t want.

• These places are usually on steep slopes, Flood plains, Edge-of-towns, Close to industrial complexes.

Negative Side Of Slums

• Insecurity of tenure.• Lack of basic services (water and sanitation).• Inadequate/unsafe building structures.• Overcrowding.• Location on hazardous land.• High concentrations of poverty/social and

economic deprivation.• Slum dwellers also have limited access to

credit, and formal job markets.

Positive Side Of Slums

• The first stopping point for immigrants as these places are affordable.

• It is a place of residence for low-income people that keep cities moving in different ways.

• Informal sector jobs allow these people to survive and operate within the city.

Activity 1

1. How could you spot deprivation in an area?2. What could be the reasons behind deprived

areas being in the centre in MEDC’s and on the outskirts in LEDC’s?

3. Copy and complete the following...Social Political Economic Environmental Demographic

Causes

Effects

Activity 2

Using Essential AS Geography P284-286, answer the following…

1.Describe the main features of the urban structure of Los Angeles.2.What has happened to the growth of the population of the Los Angeles region since 1900? Suggest reasons for your answer.3.What effects would this pattern of population growth have on land use in the region?