Global Trends in Urbanisation
-
Urbanisation is:
The process by which an increasing percentage of a country's population come to live in towns and cities
- Urbanisation varies across the globe
- Developed countries show the highest levels of urbanisation, with the lowest levels being in Africa and SE Asia
- More people now live in towns and cities than in rural areas
- World population doubled between 1950 and 2015, but the urban population more than trebled due to:
- The decline of industry in developed countries, as the industry moved overseas to emerging countries and developing countries to take advantage of a cheaper workforce, government incentives, tax breaks, etc.
- Which led to industrial growth in emerging countries and 'pulled' people from rural regions to urban areas, with the hope of a better life and employment
- High rates of urbanisation occur in developing countries because:
- Most new economic development is concentrated in the big cities
- Push-pull factors lead to high rates of rural-to-urban migration
- Cities are experiencing higher levels of natural increase in population
Exam Tip
Natural increase does not include inward migration of people to a place, just the number of births vs number of deaths. E.g. In one street there were 5 new migrants, 10 births and 2 deaths. The natural increase is 8 people because the migrants chose to move there. If they then had children, then those children would be included in the natural increase rate.
- Urbanisation growth rate differ not only between countries across the globe but also within countries
Table of Global Urban Trends
Developed | Emerging | Developing | |
Rate of urban growth: | Slow or declining | Rapid | The fastest rates of urbanisation |
Examples: | UK, Germany, Japan, and America | India, Russia, Brazil and China | Sub-Saharan countries such as Rwanda and Ethiopia and Asia such as Vietnam, Bangladesh and the Philippines |
Trend: |
Because the industrial revolution 'pulled' the population into developing urban areas at that time Nowadays, many people in HICs are being 'pushed' away from overcrowded cities to rural settlements HICs tend to have good transport and communication networks therefore, people can live in rural areas and commute to cities or work from home |
Key trade hub cities are seeing greater growth than others due to investment from the government and TNCs Cities such as Lagos in Nigeria, Shanghai in China, Mumbai in India, Sao Paulo in Brazil and St Petersburg in Russia - none of these are the country's capital Trade such as finance, electronics and manufactured goods |
Asia is expected to contribute towards 60% of global growth by 2030 Most new economic development is concentrated in the big cities through investment in low-cost manufacturing of textiles, garments and shoes Push-pull factors lead to high rates of rural-to-urban migration Cities are experiencing higher levels of natural increase in population |
- Developed countries have lower rates of urbanisation as towns and cities already exist
- In 1900, there were just 2 'millionaire'' cities (London and Paris), by 2018 this had grown to 512
- Due to modern transport and communication, urban areas are sprawling into rural regions to create conurbations, further adding to the growth of urban areas