Urbanisation and the

growth of Mega Cities

Shanghai pop 18 million 2010

TO BE MEGA-CITIES IN 2015
Country Urban agglomeration 1950 1975 2000 2015
Japan............................ Tokyo 6 920 19 771 26 444 27 190
Bangladesh .................. Dhaka 417 2 173 12 519 22 766
India ............................ Mumbai (Bombay) 2 981 7 347 16 086 22 577
Brazil........................... So Paulo 2 528 10 333 17 962 21 229
India ............................ Delhi 1 391 4 426 12 441 20 884
Mexico......................... Mexico City 2 883 10 691 18 066 20 434
United States ............... New York 12 339 15 880 16 732 17 944
Indonesia ..................... Jakarta 1 452 4 814 11 018 17 268
India ............................ Calcutta 4 446 7 888 13 058 16 747
Pakistan ....................... Karachi 1 028 3 990 10 032 16 197
Nigeria......................... Lagos 288 1 890 8 665 15 966
United States ............... Los Angeles 4 046 8 926 13 213 14 494
China ........................... Shanghai 5 333 11 443 12 887 13 598
Argentina..................... Buenos Aires 5 042 9 144 12 024 13 185
Philippines................... Metro Manila 1 544 5 000 9 950 12 579
China ........................... Beijing 3 913 8 545 10 839 11 671
Brazil........................... Rio de Janeiro 2 965 7 963 10 652 11 543
Egypt ........................... Cairo 2 410 6 079 9 462 11 531
Turkey ......................... Istanbul 1 077 3 601 8 953 11 362
Japan............................ Osaka 4 147 9 844 11 013 11 013
China ........................... Tianjin 2 374 6 160 9 156 10 319

Megacities are often primate cities

Primate cities (at least double the pop of the
second largest city in the country) are typical of
many LEDCs and NICs.
The city dominates the countrys urban system
and economy.
Advantages and disadvantages of primate
cities?

List of Primate Cities

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Two
_divided_by_love

Sustainable city
Maintain population, particularly economically
active people. Develop human resources.
Economic growth.
Infrastructure and urban services.
Quality of life.
Environmental impact. Ecological footprint.
Circular metabolism.
Green design and architecture.
Energy efficiencies. Carbon neutral city. (Masdar)

Land Use

What do we use land for?

RICEPOTS!
Housing
Shopping
Industry
Commerce
Businesses
Recreation

And Many More!

Urban Land Use Model burgess

The Model above is a typical Land Use model. What are zones A, B,
C and D? Why?

 A the centre, known as the Central Business District

(CBD). Shops, offices, banks and main services are found here.
B the Inner City area, older housing (19th Century). Today
this is more modernised.
C the Suburbs, mostly house built in the 1920s or 1930s.
People still wanted to live near the centre for work but no more
room.
D the Edge of City, often more leafy areas. It has been
common in recent times for shops and industry to move here
to reduce congestion in the city, and for the cheaper land and
better accessibility.

A THE CBD

A THE CBD
o High cost of land
o High-Order shops, public buildings, entertainment
etc.
o Often divided into districts eg. Entertainment area
o Also can be zoned vertically ground floor
shops, first floor offices etc; cheaper rent
o Much traffic in certain areas
o Usually the oldest and tallest buildings
o Low population density normally
o Mostly younger people without families

B INNER CITY OLDER HOUSING

B INNER CITY OLDER HOUSING

o Quite high cost of land
o Was C19th terraced housing and factories, now with
urban regeneration, some new housing and industry
o Often see grid-iron pattern of streets
o High traffic, due to factories and population
o Generally C19th buildings, some new
o Tall buildings; were packed together (high density), now
less so
o High population, although lowering. People moved due
to crime etc., but now many are returning
o In C20th generally poorer groups of people, immigrants
etc., although now much more of a variety

C SUBURBS

C SUBURBS
Middle and high cost housing; generally low land value
but high building value
Detached/ semi detached housing; housing estates;
parks; golf courses etc.
Access roads, maybe cul-de-sacs, crescents etc.
Little traffic, away from main roads
Mostly C20th buildings
Low buildings and low density as low cost of land; also
need space for greenery etc.
Population density is quite high, tends to be more
affluent groups middle aged couples and families
etc.

D EDGE OF CITY INDUSTRIAL

AREAS/ SHOPS

D EDGE OF CITY INDUSTRIAL

AREAS/ SHOPS
Quite low land value, but getting higher accessible
and zoned
Modern factories, offices; middle and high order
shops; lots of space for car parking
High traffic at rush hours and peak shopping times
Very new buildings, generally low density
Low population density

Study models on pages 492, 493, 494 and 495. In what

ways to land use models/ patterns contrast in MEDCs
and LEDCs?

Terms
-

PVLI
Distance-decay
Bid Rent Theory
Urban morphology

The Hoyt Model

Developed in the 1930s by Homer Hoyt this model took into consideration
road, river and rail links which may affect the zoning. It is sometimes called
the sector model. Describe it using the key to help you.

There are 3 explanations for these land use patterns.

1 Historical
The urban area expanded outwards from the original site which is the CBD.
2 Economic
Rent in the CBD became too expensive for people. In the suburbs there was
more land and it was cheaper. Only businesses could afford to stay in the
CBD.
3 Concentrations of similar land uses
One part of the urban area may have all the advantages for industrial
location so that a lot of factories want to locate there; but few people want
to live next door to a factory, so the residential areas are located elsewhere.

eate a table to show similarities and differences between the two mode

SIMILARITIES

DIFFERENCES

Limitations
It is a model so may not be able to be applied to a specific city.
Like the Burgess model it was designed before the car so doesnt take
commuting into consideration
Physical features may limit the growth of a zone.

Can you give

an example?

Land Use Shanghai

Basic urban model for an LEDC city.

Higher cost housing and higher class residential areas located

centrally. Historical core of colonial city. Rapid urban growth
expanding the peripheral areas.

You should have identified:

The CBD is always in the middle
There is no zone of medium class residential in the LEDC model
The poorest housing is found of the edge of the LEDC city
The largest zone is the shanty town. Often called squatter settlements, slums or favelas

Urban growth is too rapid

for planners and for the city
to provide basic urban
infrastructure, housing and
services. Peripheral areas
characterised by poor
quality housing and
spontaneous settlements as
immigrants attempt to
satisfy their basic needs of
housing and employment
through the informal
economy.

Shanghai
Rio de Janeiro

Urban stress and sustainable

solutions in LEDC cities

Dhaka
Mexico City

What are the challenges facing an (LEDC)

city?

Housing the urban poor

Social deprivation, crime and inequality
Employment
Air / water pollution
Waste management
Transport
Energy
Water and food supply
Public space

Caracas - Venezuela

Rocinha Rio de
Janeiro Brazil

Squatter Settlements
Residential areas which have developed without legal
claims to the land and/or permission from the concerned
authorities to build; as a result of their illegal or semi-legal
status, infrastructure and services are usually inadequate.
30% of the urban population of the world live in squatter
settlements. 1 billion people!

Watch Richard Neuwirths TED presentation on

his book Shadow Cities

He presents an empathic
and positive view of squatter
settlements and their role in
modern cities.

http://www.ted.com/talk
s/robert_neuwirth_on_ou
r_shadow_cities.html

The role of the Informal Sector

This whole process of urbanisation and urban growth
is a sum of millions of peoples individual decisions,
aspirations, hopes and desire to provide for their
loved ones.
As the governments are unable to provide solutions,
then these individuals, faced with these problems are
struggling to find their own solutions to their housing
and employment needs.
This is why squatter settlements play such a vital role
in the process of urban growth we are witnessing now
in the world.

Is it possible that squatter settlements, shanty

towns, bustees, favelas, slums are part of the
solution?
Or perhaps is it true that they are a potent symbol
of the failure of society to address the basic
needs of the majority and it must be the
responsibility of the public sector to provide
housing for its citizens?

Slums of hope or slums of despair?

Problems of the informal economy

No
money
Low
profit

No
investment
Low
output

Turners model
can be linked to a
intra-urban
movement of
migrants

Planet Geography pg 534

Huge gaps between rich and poor in
LEDCs?
Shanty next to high rise
TNCs create jobs only for educated
The rich get richer....

LEDCs rapidly changing?

DTM?
Shanghai growth
Globalisation and copying MEDC
growth

AIR POLLUTION

Why have the problems developed?

What is the impact on the city?
(environmental, economic, social)

LEDCs
Some of the worst air pollution is now
in LEDCs or NICs figure 11.131 pg
546
Beijing example; page 551

Urban Microclimates
A microclimate is
a local atmospheric zone where the
climate differs from the surrounding
area. The term may refer to areas as
small as a few square feet (for example
a garden bed) or as large as many
square miles

Why might an urban area have a

microclimate?
What is meant by an urban heat
island? q block 11O page 551.

Other Social Stresses

Using pages 556-565 list the other
social stresses which appear in urban
areas.
Complete questions 1,2,3,4,7,8,10
and 12 pg 566

Urban Stress in London

Usual problems pollution, traffic,
overcrowding
Huge gap between rich and poor
Inner city urban blight poor, old housing
(East End), schools
High rise estates to make
up for shortfall (600,000)
These areas associated
with crime, violence and
Graffiti.

Urban Stress in London

Huge range of migrants (former port city)
1960s from former colonies in Asia (Pakistan,
Sri Lanka); East Africa (Uganda) and in the
1980/90s large numbers of refugees from eg
Afghanistan, Iraq.
Creates urban villages where people cluster,
creates a hotbed of culture in London
Has led to some hostility and racism
History of riots in the city Brixton (25%
population of different racial background)

However...
Not ALL bad!
In a 100m stretch in Finsbury Park can be seen
an Irish pub, Indian newsagents, food shop and
restaurant, West Indian businesses, West
African restaurant, Chinese take away,
Lebanese flower shop, Jewish run ironmongers,
Italian restaurant, Spanish off-licence... This rich
mix of cultures rubbing alongside one another
that characterises contemporary London and
adds so much to its vitality
Read pgs570-577; qs 1, 5, 7, 8, 9

The Sustainable City

Can a city be sustainable?
A sustainable city, or eco-city is a
city designed with consideration of
environmental impact, inhabited by
people dedicated to minimization of
required inputs of energy, water and
food, and waste output of heat, air
pollution - CO2, methane and water
pollution

How does a city attempt to manage the

problems it faces?
Socially sustainable housing management strategy.
Environmentally sustainable pollution management
strategy.
A strategy to control the growth of the city.
Also perhaps sustainable management related to social
welfare, waste, energy, transport etc

Sustainable Housing
What is done to provide socially sustainable housing for the
urban poor?
Affordable housing provided by government or private
sector
Upgrading squatter settlements
Slum clearance and relocation
Site and service schemes
Loans for people to buy housing
Other options in London, Shanghai
or Beijing?
- Can a system be in place?
Study figure 11.238 pg 582
Complete qs 2 and 3 pg 584

London Sustainable?
TASK:
Read pgs 584-590 and make a table
SUSTAINABLE YES

SUSTAINABLE NO

INNER CITY
CONGESTION CHARGE

45,000 TONNES OF FUEL

TO POWER THE CITY

Evaluation of strategy
For example a relocation and re-housing project
Availability of land
Distance from employment for residents
Cost of projects
Poor standard of housing
Lack of urban services provided
Social fabric of squatter settlement broken up
Pointless as residents of squatter settlements have
already built their dwellings
Alternative is to upgrade existing squatter settlements and
integrate them into the city. Favela Bairro project.