Changing settlement patterns

Urbanisation

Settlement patterns around the world are constantly changing. One of the factors responsible
for these changes is the process of urbanisation.

1. Urbanisation is the process by which ... (complete the sentence)

A country is “urbanised” when over 50% of its population live in urban areas (towns and cities).
Most of the developed countries (Europe, North America, Australia and New Zealand)
urbanised very slowly, allowing governments to plan and provide for the needs of the urban
people.

2. What are the needs of urban people?

In the developing countries (Africa, Asia, South America), the process of urbanisation has been
much more rapid than in the developed countries.

Exercise

London Mexico
1860 – 1 million people 1950 – 1 million people
1960 – 9 million people 1980 – 9 million people

3.1 How many years did it take for the population of London to increase from 1 to 9 million
people?
3.2 How many years did it take for the population of Mexico to increase by the same
amount?
3.3 Which city expanded its population faster?
3.4 Which city, London or Mexico, is located in a developed country?

4. How could the fast rate of urbanisation in Mexico be a problem for the government?

Urbanisation is the result of:

a) Natural increase
b) Rural-urban migration (rural depopulation)
Rural to urban migration

The decision to move from a rural area to an urban area is usually the result of push and pull
factors – unfavourable factors in the rural area “push” people away, while at the same time the
attractions of the cities “pull” people to them.

People are lured to cities by the belief of a better quality of life, with better education and job
opportunities.

Pull

 Improved employment opportunities, jobs in factories pay more than farming;

 Improved quality of life and standard of living for migrants, who not only want a better life
for themselves but are determined that their children should have the chance of a good
education to benefit from the advantage this might bring them;
 Expectations of improved housing with services such as electricity and water;
 Availability of schools, hospitals, and entertainment;
 Access to education is very important.

Push

 Pressure on the land – not enough for people to live on;

 Large families mean that there is not enough land for each child;
 Poor quality of life – hard work, long hours, little pay for farmers;
 Poor-quality housing;
 Increasing use of machinery reduces job opportunities in farming;
 Lack of infrastructure, e.g. electricity, water and sewage services;
 Overpopulation due to high birth rates;
 Starvation;
 Natural disasters, e.g. drought, hurricanes, floods and volcanic eruptions, crop failure, fire,
pests;
 Workers do not own the land and feel powerless;
 Lack of education, health and welfare facilities;
 Lack of investment from the government.

Results of rural-urban migration

Migration of people into the cities causes the POOR rural areas they leave to go into a decline
(poverty cycle). If they come from wealthy commercial farming areas, these areas may become
wealthier as mechanised farms are more profitable than those using a lot of manual labour.

5. Draw a concept diagram or a cartoon to show how the push and pull factors operate to
make poverty worsen in poor subsistence areas.

Problems of cities in the developing world

Once migrants arrive in the cities they find life very different to what they imagined. Most
migrants are poor with low levels of skills. They often fail to find work and remain unemployed.
They can’t afford the available housing or the housing is inadequate. The result is a growing
number of unemployed people with nowhere to live. As a result, shanty towns and squatter
settlements develop. The lack of housing and high levels of unemployment are currently the
most pressing problems being faced by cities in the developing world.

Where in the cities do shanty towns develop? Think of your own city!

6. Name five areas where you might typically find shack settlements developing in cities.

7. Write a paragraph, describing what shack living is like in South Africa. Use the following
ideas to help guide you: Building materials, provision of services and infrastructure,
living conditions, health problems. You must discuss all of the ideas in some depth to get
very good marks. Some research in books or on the internet will also help you.

Your paragraph will be assessed based on the following rubric.

Criteria Level achieved

Not in paragraph form. Only one or two ideas covered. No real 1
discussion. Answer has no structure, and shows very little (0-4)
understanding. Writing not very legible, spelling and/or grammatical
errors evident.
Not in true paragraph form with full sentences, not all ideas covered. 2
Limited discussion. Answer has little structure and shows limited (4-5)
understanding. Writing legible, spelling and/or grammatical errors
evident.
In paragraph form with full sentences, all ideas covered and discussed. 3
Answer has some structure, and shows some understanding. Writing (6-7)
legible, a few spelling and/or grammatical errors.
In paragraph form with full sentences, all ideas covered and adequately 4
discussed. Answer has a logical sequence and structure and shows good (8-10)
understanding. Writing legible, no spelling and/or grammatical errors.
Exercise – Urban problems

Governments and urban authorities battle to keep up with the pace of urban growth. The
article that follows highlights this new threat. Read the article carefully and answer the
questions that follow.

BBC News Thursday, July 1, 1999 Published at 09:42 GMT 10:42 UK

BANGLADESH STRUGGLES TO COPE
Overcrowded cities as many Bangladeshis leave their villages

By David Chazan in Dhaka

Zaynab Begum, her husband Despite the relative success may be an increase in crime
and three children live in a of family planning and violence as increasing
tiny bamboo and corrugated programmes which have numbers of people have to
hut in a Dhaka slum. Their brought the population growth compete for resources.
living space is smaller than rate to between 1.6% and
six square metres. They have 1.8% a year, already
no electricity, running water overcrowded Bangladesh will
or toilet, and an open sewer inevitably suffer further strain
runs outside the hut. “It’s on its limited resources and
difficult to live here because land.
it’s cramped and The population is expected to
uncomfortable,” she said. stabilise at about a quarter of
“But my husband is a a billion by 2050, if family
rickshaw-puller. We can’t planning programmes
afford anything else.” continue to reduce the birth
Zaynab Begum’s family are rate.
among millions of But Bangladesh is already
Bangladeshis who have one of the world’s most
migrated to the cities in densely-populated countries,
search of work. Fifty years and its low per capita income
ago, only about 4% of the is unlikely to increase.
population lived in urban “In a small country like
areas. Now more than 25% Bangladesh, it will be a really
are city dwellers. big problem to accommodate
Overcrowding and such a huge population,” said
malnutrition are worst among Mizanur Rahman of the
the urban poor but the urban Family Planning Association
population is likely to of Bangladesh.
continue to increase as Millions migrate to cities in
people without land or jobs search of work. Malnutrition
are driven into cities. levels are already high. At
Strain on resources least half of Bangladesh’s
Bangladesh is the world’s people live below the poverty
ninth most populous country, line. They eat only about half
with about 123 million people of the amount of food that
according to official would be considered normal
estimates. The Ministry of elsewhere in the world.
Health and Family Welfare Bangladesh is already unable
says the population is to provide jobs, housing and
expected to grow to about food for all its people, and
210 million by the year 2020. some analysts fear that there
Grade 8 Social Sciences Worksheet
8. Imagine you are an aid worker in Bangladesh. Use the information in the article to list
the problems created by the growth of squatter communities in cities in developing
countries. [4]

9. What is the main reason for the movement of people from rural areas into the slums
of Dhaka? Is this a push or pull factor? [2]

10. Describe the living conditions experienced by the Begum family. [5]

11. The authorities of Bangladesh are unable to provide houses and jobs for all the
people. What could be the result of this inability to provide for people’s needs? [5]

12. Explain what is meant by family planning programmes. [4]

13. Explain how family planning programmes can go some way towards helping with
the problem of overcrowding in cities. [6]

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Grade 8 Social Sciences Worksheet
Suggested Solutions

1. Urbanisation is the process by which the percentage of a country’s population living

in the urban areas (towns and cities) increases.

2. What are the needs of urban people?

The needs of rural and urban people are similar, but if the urban population is
increasing rapidly, then the large-scale provision of housing, schools, roads, water
supply, power supply, hospitals, etc. requires long-term planning.

3.1 How many years did it take for the population of London to increase from 1 to 9
million people?
100 years
3.2 How many years did it take for the population of Mexico City to increase by the same
amount?
30 years
3.3 Which city expanded its population faster?
Mexico City
3.4 Which city, London or Mexico City, is located in a developed country?
London

4. How could the fast rate of urbanisation in Mexico be a problem for the government?
To build enough houses for an additional 8 million people (2 million houses) requires
a lot of money (Mexico is not a wealthy country) and a lot of skilled labour and
professional planners, not to mention all the roads, power supply, sewerage
systems, schools and so on that have to be built. One of the most difficult things is to
find enough suitable land.

Any sensible points.

5. Draw a concept diagram or a cartoon to show how the push and pull factors operate
to make poverty worsen in poor subsistence areas.
Concept diagrams are more than simple mind maps. Rather than ideas radiating out
like spokes of a bicycle wheel, there are cross links. Each arrow must have an
explanation.
E.g. Illiteracy ------------------------------------- > Unemployment
(urban jobs require the ability to read)

Generally, the more correctly labelled the cross links are, the higher the level of
thinking that is demonstrated by the diagram. This is a skill that takes considerable
practise but is worth using on a regular basis, as it really teaches the learners how to
think.

Edupstairs Grade R - 9 Learning www.edupstairs.org

Grade 8 Social Sciences Worksheet

Edupstairs Grade R - 9 Learning www.edupstairs.org

Grade 8 Social Sciences Worksheet
6. Name five areas where you might typically find shack settlements developing in
cities.
Any land unsuitable for normal housing: flood plains; near rubbish tips; near noisy
roads or factories; in parks in poor areas; in patches of forest or hidden gullies (out
of sight of other residents who might complain); under freeway bridges; etc.

7. Write a paragraph, describing what shack living is like in South Africa. Use the
following ideas to help guide you: Building materials, provision of services and
infrastructure, living conditions, health problems. You must discuss all of the ideas in
some depth to get very good marks. Some research in books or on the internet will
also help you.

Criteria Level achieved

Not in paragraph form. Only one or two ideas covered. No real discussion. 1
Answer has no structure, and shows very little understanding. Writing not (0-4)
very legible, spelling and/or grammatical errors evident.
Not in true paragraph form with full sentences, not all ideas covered. 2
Limited discussion. Answer has little structure and shows limited (4-5)
understanding. Writing legible, spelling and/or grammatical errors
evident.
In paragraph form with full sentences, all ideas covered and discussed. 3
Answer has some structure, and shows some understanding. Writing (6-7)
legible, a few spelling and/or grammatical errors.
In paragraph form with full sentences, all ideas covered and adequately 4
discussed. Answer has a logical sequence and structure and shows good (8-10)
understanding. Writing legible, no spelling and/or grammatical errors.

8. Imagine you are an aid worker in Bangladesh. Use the information in the article to
list the problems created by the growth of squatter communities in cities in
developing countries. [4]
Increasing pressure on limited resources. This is the main idea. Good answers must
refer to this idea, whether it is food, living space, education, health care, etc.

9. What is the main reason for the movement of people from rural areas into the
slums of Dhaka? Is this a push or pull factor? [2]
Population growth has meant that the rural areas cannot support all the people,
so they move to the cities, hoping to find work. Rural population growth is a push
factor.

10. Describe the living conditions experienced by the Begum family. [5]

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Grade 8 Social Sciences Worksheet
The answer needs to go beyond that mentioned in the article. What is it like to live in
6 m2, with no electricity, clean water and proper toilet? While there are many South
Africans living in such conditions, it is much worse in Bangladesh.

11. The authorities of Bangladesh are unable to provide houses and jobs for all the
people. What could be the result of this inability to provide for people’s needs? [5]
Mass malnutrition; rising civil unrest; diseases spreading easily; even more
unemployment … a vicious circle of poverty.

12. Explain what is meant by family planning programmes. [4]

Family planning is the process whereby governments and aid agencies try to educate
families to have fewer children. This entails such things as getting married later;
spacing children out; using contraceptives; and changing the way people think of
children as a form of insurance in old age.

13. Explain how family planning programmes can go some way towards helping with
the problem of overcrowding in cities. [6]
Successful family planning slows the population growth rate, giving governments
more time to develop the housing and job creation necessary to improve the lives of
the people. However, for family planning to succeed, education needs to improve
first, which is not easy.

Edupstairs Grade R - 9 Learning www.edupstairs.org