What is Urbanisation?

Urbanisation is the increase in the proportion of people living in towns and cities.

What causes urbanisation?

Urbanisation occurs because people move from rural areas (countryside) to urban areas (towns and cities). This usually occurs when a country is still developing.

Levels of urbanisation in 1950 and 1990

 

	1950	1990
World	30%	51%
MEDCs	53%	74%
LEDCs	17%	34%

Prior to 1950 the majority of urbanisation occurred in MEDCs (more economically developed countries). Rapid urbanisation took place during the period of industrialisation that took place in Europe and North America in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Many people moved from rural to urban areas to get jobs in the rapidly expanding industries in many large towns and cities. Since 1950 urbanisation has slowed in most MEDCs, and now some of the biggest cities are losing population as people move away from the city to rural environments. This is known as counter-urbanisation. You can read more about this process here.

Since 1950 the most rapid growth in urbanisation has occurred in LEDCs (Less Economically Developed Countries) in South America, Africa and Asia. Between 1950 and 1990 the urban population living in LEDCs doubled. In developed countries the increase was less than half.

There are two main causes of urbanisation in LEDCs since 1950 are:

1. Rural to urban migration is happening on a massive scale due to population pressure and lack of resources in rural areas. This are 'push' factors.

2. People living in rural areas are 'pulled' to the city. Often they believe that the standard of living in urban areas will be much better in urban areas. They are usually wrong. People also hope for well paid jobs, the greater opportunities to find casual or 'informal' work, better health care and education.

3. Natural increase caused by a decrease in death rates while birth rates remain high.

Million Cities

A million city is, yes you guessed it, a city with one million (or more) inhabitants. According to the 1995 UN census these are the largest cities on the planet:

1. Tokyo (Japan) 27.2 million
2. Mexico City (Mexico), 16.9 million
3. Sao Paulo (Brazil) 16.8 million
4. New York (USA), 16.4 million
5. Bombay, India, 15.7 million

You can find out more about the largest cities in the world (including predictions for the future) here.

Counter-urbanisation

Counter-urbanisation is the movement of people out of cities, to the surrounding areas. Since 1950 this proccess has been occurring in MEDCs (More Economically developed Countries).

There are four main reasons for counter-urbanisation:

1. The increase in car ownership over the last 40 years means people are more mobile. This has led to an increase in commuting. Also, the growth in information technology (E-mail, faxes and video conferencing) means more people can work from home.

2. Urban areas are becoming increasing unpleasant place to live. This is the result of pollution, crime and traffic congestion.

3. More people tend to move when they retire.

4. New business parks on the edge of cities (on Greenfield sites) mean people no longer have to travel to the city centre. People now prefer to live on the outskirts of the city to be near where they work.

Urban Problems in MEDCs

Urban areas in MEDCs have experienced a range of problems in recent years. These include:

Traffic problems. Car ownership and commuting means an increase in congestion and pollution.

Decline in industry. As older manufacturing industries have closed they have left empty, derelict buildings towards the centre of the city. Modern industries need more space so tend to locate on the edge of the city.

High unemployment in inner city areas (where the old industries were once located) leads to social problems. (Example of Detroit).

Changes in shopping have also caused problems. City centre locations are no longer favoured. There has been a recent growth in out of town shopping centres, which has led to the decline of many CBDs (central business districts).

Case Study - Inner City Redevelopment
London's Docklands

In 1981 the London's Docklands Development Corporation (LDDC) was set up to improve the economic, social and environmental problems that had developed in the area that was once one of the world's busiest ports. The area had been in decline since the 1950's. This is because larger ships could no longer access the port. Unemployment soared, the back to back terraced housing fell into disrepair and their was a lack of transport and leisure facilities. The area became on the first Enterprise Zones in 1981. The land was made rate free for ten years.

Between 1981-1998 many changes occurred within the Docklands. For example:

Employment

Low rents attracted a number of hi-tech and financial firms. This includes The Limehouse ITV studios and The Guardian and Daily Telegraph newspapers.

Housing

Many of the former warehouses have been transformed into luxury flats. This is an example of gentrification. Low cost housing has also been built along with the renovation of older council owned properties.

Leisure

A large shopping area was constructed close to Canary Warf. A number of parks have been created where buildings once stood. More recently the Millennium Dome was built in this area.

Although the redevelopment of London's Docklands brought many benefits to the area there are some groups who oppose the changes. This includes some of the original inhabitants of the area who are now unable to afford to live there. The majority of the jobs in the new hi-tech industries are unsuitable to unemployed docker workers. They do not have the skills needed for jobs in these industries. Close knit-communities have been broken up. Many believe there are insufficient services for people living in the area e.g. care for the elderly.

Largest Urban Agglomerations, 1950, 2000, 2015


Source: United Nations, World Urbanization Prospects, The 1999 Revision.

Through most of history, the human population has lived a rural lifestyle, dependent on agriculture and hunting for survival. In 1800, only 3 percent of the world's population lived in urban areas. By 1900, almost 14 percent were urbanites, although only 12 cities had 1 million or more inhabitants. In 1950, 30 percent of the world's population resided in urban centers. The number of cities with over 1 million people had grown to 83.

The world has experienced unprecedented urban growth in recent decades. In 2000, about 47 percent of the world's population lived in urban areas, about 2.8 billion. There are 411 cities over 1 million. More developed nations are about 76 percent urban, while 40 percent of residents of less developed countries live in urban areas. However, urbanization is occurring rapidly in many less developed countries. It is expected that 60 percent of the world population will be urban by 2030, and that most urban growth will occur in less developed countries.

What is an urban area? An urban area may be defined by the number of residents, the population density, the percent of people not dependent upon agriculture, or the provision of such public utilities and services as electricity and education. Some countries define any place with a population of 2,500 or more as urban; others set a minimum of 20,000. There are no universal standards, and generally each country develops its own set of criteria for distinguishing urban areas. The United States defines urban as a city, town, or village with a minimum population of 2,500 people. The classification of metropolitan includes both urban areas as well as rural areas that are socially and economically integrated with a particular city.

When comparing countries it is often helpful to look beyond the proportion of populations that are rural or urban and instead consider the size of cities. Countries differ markedly in the distribution of their urban population. For example, many urban dwellers in Africa live in cities of fewer than 10,000 residents. In Argentina, 90 percent of the 2000 population was urban, and 38 percent of these people lived in just one city, Buenos Aires. In 2000, 39 percent of the world's urbanites lived in agglomerations of 1 million or more inhabitants, and 15 percent resided in agglomerations of 5 million or more. Only 8 percent of Americans live in cities of 1 million or more.

Migration or Natural Increase

A city grows through natural increase — the excess of births over deaths — and because the in-migration of people from other cities, rural areas, or countries is greater than out-migration. More developed and less developed countries of the world differ not only in the percent living in cities, but also in the way in which urbanization is occurring.

During the 19th and early 20th centuries, urbanization resulted from and contributed to industrialization. New job opportunities in the cities spurred the mass movement of surplus population away from the countryside. At the same time, migrants provided cheap, plentiful labor for the emerging factories. While the proportion increased through rural to urban migration, high death rates in the cities slowed urban growth. Cities were unhealthy places because of crowded living conditions, the prevalence of contagious diseases, and the lack of sanitation. Until the mid-1800s, the number of deaths exceeded births in many large European cities. Migration accounted for as much as 90 percent of city growth during this period.

Urbanization in most less developed countries in the past 50 years contrasts sharply with the experience of the more developed countries. Death rates have fallen faster in urban areas because of greater access to health services. Because birth rates are relatively high in most less developed countries, the rates of natural increase are also quite high in cities. Migration also fuels urban growth in less developed countries as people leave the countryside in search of better jobs.

Growth of Urban Agglomerations, 1950-2015


Source: United Nations, World Urbanization Prospects, The 1999 Revision.

The chart "Growth of urban agglomerations" shows population growth in selected cities. New York and London are typical of large cities in more developed countries that arose in the 1800s and early 1900s, reached their current size mid-century, and have since experienced slow growth or decline. Cities in some less developed countries, such as Mexico City, grew very rapidly between 1950 and 1980, and are growing more slowly now. Many Asian and African cities, such as Lagos and Bombay, are experiencing very rapid growth now and are projected to continue at this pace.

Megacities

As the population increases, more people will live in large cities. Many people will live in the growing number of cities with over 5 million habitants known as megacities. As the map "Largest urban agglomerations" shows, just eight cities had populations of 5 million or more in 1950, two of them in less developed countries. Megacities numbered 41 in 2000. By 2015, 59 megacities will exist, 48 in less developed countries.

By the turn of the century, cities of 10 million and larger will be more common. In 1950, only one city had more than 10 million inhabitants (see table, "Top 10 Largest Urban Agglomerations" below). By 2015, 23 cities are projected to hold over 10 million people; all but four will be in less developed countries.

Top 10 largest urban agglomerations in 1950, 2000, 2015

1950			2000			2015
1. New York, USA	12.3		1. Tokyo, Japan	26.4		1. Tokyo, Japan	26.4
2. London, England	8.7		2. Mexico City, Mexico	18.4		2. Bombay, India	26.1
3. Tokyo, Japan	6.9		3. Bombay, India	18.0		3. Lagos, Nigeria	23.2
4. Paris, France	5.4		4. Săo Paulo, Brazil	17.8		4. Dhaka, Bangladesh	21.1
5. Moscow, Russia	5.4		5. New York, USA	16.6		5. Săo Paulo, Brazil	20.4
6. Shanghai, China	5.3		6. Lagos, Nigeria	13.4		6. Karachi, Pakistan	19.2
7. Essen, Germany	5.3		7. Los Angeles, USA	13.1		7. Mexico City, Mexico	19.2
8. Buenos Aires, Argentina	5.0		8. Calcutta, India	12.9		8. New York, USA	17.4
9. Chicago, USA	4.9		9. Shanghai, China	12.9		9. Jakarta, Indonesia	17.3
10. Calcutta, India	4.4		10. Buenos Aires, Argentina	12.6		10. Calcutta, India	17.3

Source: United Nations, World Urbanization Prospects, The 1999 Revision.

Terms

Death rate (or crude death rate): The number of deaths per 1,000 population in a given year.

Less developed countries: Less developed countries include all countries in Africa, Asia (excluding Japan), and Latin America and the Caribbean, and the regions of Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia.

Megacities: A city with a population of 10 million or more residents.

Metropolitan area: A large concentration of population, usually an area with 100,000 or more people. The area typically includes an important city with 50,000 or more inhabitants and the administrative areas bordering the city that are socially and economically integrated with it.

More developed countries: More developed countries include all countries in Europe, North America, Australia, New Zealand, and Japan.

Rate of natural increase: The rate at which a population is increasing (or decreasing) in a given year due to a surplus (or deficit) of births over deaths, expressed as a percentage of the base population.

Urban: Countries differ in the way they classify population as "urban" or "rural." Typically, a community or settlement with a population of 2,000 or more is considered urban. A listing of country definitions is published annually in the United Nations Demographic Yearbook.

Urban agglomeration: Urban agglomerations are areas of 1 million population or more. The concept of agglomeration defines the population contained within the contours of contiguous territory inhabited at urban levels of residential density without regard to administrative boundaries.

Urbanization: Growth in the proportion of a population living in urban areas.

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