Title: Urbanisation Causes and Consequences

What do you need to know?

Task: Using the information on the following slides, create a timeline detailing the
development of the urban environment
5500 years ago, with Mesopotamia
dating back approximately 4500 BC
Early Conditions for Urbanisation
The First Cities:
The term urban revolution is
used to describe the change in
society marked by the
emergence of the first cities
some 5500 years ago. The areas
that first witnessed this profound
social-economic change were:
• Mesopotamia – the valleys of
Tigris and Euphrates Urban Hearth Areas
• The Lower Nile Valley
• The plains of the River Indus
Urban Hearth
Why were these locations selected to house the ‘first cities’?
c.5000BCE:
Fertile Mesopotamia, Nile and Indus:
• Domestication of grasses and oxen;
• Wheeled carts and sail boats;
• Monetary and recording systems;
• Focus on military regime or religion
c.400BCE to 400AD
Greek then Roman Empires spread city life to Mediterranean,
West Europe and Britain
• E.g. the population of Athens in the 5th Century has been
estimated to be at a minimum of 100,000
Changing Global Pattern of Urbanisation
Interactive Data:
• https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/urban-population-share-2050?time=1
500

• https://www.iied.org/cities-interactive-data-visual
• https://esriukeducation.maps.arcgis.com/apps/MapSeries/index.html?appi
d=9bd0f22ea5f0492e84111944be0a1f59
Development of Urbanisation:
2016: over 3.5bn people in urban areas = half the global population
2030: forecast 5bn in urban areas
Where? = 95% of 2016-2030 urban growth in MICs and LICs
The Urban Industrial Revolution
Although the Industrial Revolution occurred 1760-1840, it wasn’t until the late eighteenth century
that industrialisation proceeded hand-in-hand with urbanisation.
The steam engine was a key invention in facilitating this, as it facilitated industry first and later
transportation.
The demand for workers in the rapidly growing coalfield towns and cities was satisfied by the freeing
of labour in agriculture due to series of major advances – The Agricultural Revolution – which began in
the early seventeenth century.
Key Dates:
• 1801 – nearly 1/10th of the population of England and Wales was living in cities of over 100,000
people
• This proportion doubled in 40 years and doubled again in another 60 years
• The 1801 census recorded London’s population at 1 million, the first city in the world to reach this
figure
• By 1851, London’s population has doubled to 2 million
The Urban Industrial Revolution – HICs v LICs
As the processes of the Industrial Revolution spread to other countries, the pace of urbanisation
quickened.
The change from a population of 10-30% living in urban areas of 100,000 people or more took:
• 80 years in England and Wales
• 66 years in the USA
• 48 years in Japan
• 26 years in Australia
In comparison, the initial urbanisation of many LICs was restricted to concentrations of
populations around points of supply of raw materials for the affluent HICs
e.g. the growth of Sao Paulo was firmly based in coffee; Buenos Aires on mutton, wool and cereal;
and Kolkata on Jute
By the 1950s, cycle of urbanisation was nearing completion in many HICs having barely started in
LICs
Post 1945 Urban ‘Explosion’ in LICs and MICs
HICs: urbanisation and significant economic progress has coincided
MICs and LICs: rapid urbanisation has outpaced economic development,
creating huge problems for planners and politicians

‘Urban Explosion’ is a term used to describe contemporary trends in MICs

and LICs.
It differs from ‘urbanisation’ which refers to the proportion of the total
population living in areas classified as urban – with the understanding that
these areas are ‘urbanised’ – loads of buildings and services to support
that growth.
Instead, the term recognises that areas experiencing ‘urban explosion (or
growth)’ nowadays are not necessarily urbanised – e.g. some of the least
urbanised countries, such as China and India, contain may of the world’s
largest cities and are recording the fastest rates in growth

A subtle but VERY IMPORTANT difference

Dependency Theory
The ‘dependency theory’ has been used by many writers to explain
the urbanisation of MICs and LICs, particularly post 1950s.
It is based on the fact that the capitalist global economy induces
urbanisation by concentrating production and consumption in
locations that:
• Offer the best economies of scale and agglomeration
• Provide the greatest opportunities for industrial linkage
• Give maximum effectiveness and least cost in terms of control
over sources of supply
This spatial outcome is advantageous to TNCs, as it enables people
to cluster in geographical spaces

GCSE Summary:
The dependency theory argues that urban regions could establish
expand and develop only if agriculture is well developed. The
developing countries are sources of input for developed countries.
Hence developing countries receive larger foreign investment in
agriculture as well as non-agricultural sectors.
Backwash Urbanisation
Backwash urbanisation is a term used to refer to the destruction
of the vitality of rural areas and placement of enormous
pressure on cities
This can be encouraged by:
• The investment policies of central governments which have
generally favoured urban over rural areas, often in an attempt
to enhance their prestige on the international stage
• Higher wage rates and better employment protection in cities
• Greater access to healthcare and education
• The decline in the demand for locally produced food as
consumers increasingly favour imported food
Current Patterns
Task:
1. Describe the distribution of the
urban population worldwide
2. Using your own understanding,
how does this compare with
what you known about urban
growth nowadays
• The most urbanised regions are
North America, Europe, Oceania
and Latin America
• The lowest levels of urbanisation
are Africa and Asia
• In contrast, urban growth is
highest in Africa and Asia, as these
countries contain the fastest
growing urban areas (‘urban
explosion’)
Case Studies
HIC:
• Glasgow, UK
MIC:
• Bengaluru, South-West India
• China
LIC:
• Brazil
• Ethiopia
Urbanisation: Spatial Change (1.a)
Glasgow (HIC):
The growth in the urban population was initially
caused by migration from the surrounding
countryside into the cities as individuals and
families came in search of jobs. Further growth of
the urban population was the result of natural
increase, as the birth rate in cities increased as well.

The Industrial Revolution took hold in Glasgow at

the beginning of the 19th century. The manufacture
of cotton and textiles, chemicals, glass, paper and
soap increased rapidly. Immigrants from the
Highlands in the 1820s and later from Ireland in the
1840s formed the workforce.
Spatial Change: Urbanisation (1.b)
Glasgow (HIC):
Glasgow's development as an industrial city depended crucially on the deepening of the Clyde by the
council's River Committee and from 1809 by the River Improvement Trust to allow ocean-going vessels to
reach the Broomielaw. Work began on this major undertaking in 1770 and by 1812 Glasgow no longer had
to depend on its outports at Port Glasgow, Greenock and Dumbarton.
At the same time, access to the rich Monkland coal fields and to the Carron Iron Works to the east was
made possible by canal. Work began on the Forth and Clyde Canal in the 1760s and was completed in 1790.
The Monkland Canal was opened three years later. Until the opening of the Garnkirk & Glasgow Railway in
1831 for mineral transport, the river and canals provided the main means of transporting heavy goods to
and from the city.
Raw materials for the textile industry were imported by Glasgow merchants, who in turn helped finance
production and sold finished goods in the world market. The merchant community grew rich on the
tobacco trade with North America, which was eclipsed by the American War of Independence (1775-
1783). Resourceful, Glasgow merchants found new markets in such places as Canada, the West Indies and
later India. With the coming of peace with the United States in 1783 the Glasgow Chamber of Commerce,
the first of its kind, was established to represent the interests of business within the city. It united
merchants and manufacturers and proved an effective pressure group with government.
Urbanisation and Climate Change (1.c)
Climate change can
affect urbanization in
several ways. In addition
to the most obvious
temperature changes, it
also affects the
urbanization process
by changing the energy
structure, affecting the
spatial distribution of
precipitation, and
causing natural
disasters.
Glasgow: Host of COP26
The UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow (COP26) brought together 120 world leaders and over
40,000 registered participants, including 22,274 party delegates, 14,124 observers and 3,886 media
representatives.

4 Goals of COP26
• Secure global net zero by mid-century and keep 1.5 degrees within reach. ...
• Adapt to protect communities and natural habitats. ...
• Mobilise finance. ...
• Work together to deliver

https://ukcop26.org/cop26-goals/

Reading: Glasgow_Climate_Plan.pdf
Spatial Change: Urbanisation (1.d)
Glasgow (HIC): SWOT
Glasgow’s City Centre Living Strategy 2035 has identified the following strengths,
weaknesses, opportunities and threats within its community:
Urbanisation: Spatial Change (2.a)
India (MIC):
Colonialism – the policy or practice of acquiring full
or partial political control over another
country, occupying it with settlers,
and exploiting it economically.
The main causes of urbanization in India are: 
1. Expansion in government services, as a result of
the Second World War.
2. Migration of people during the partition of India.
3. Industrial development in urban areas
Colonialism in India (2.b) https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/topics/z7kvf82/articles/zx8sf82

From 1757, Britain increased its control of India

through the East India Company.
From 1858 onwards, the British government
directly ruled India, and it became known as
the British Raj.
The British Raj had a significant impact on
people living in India. Many Indians suffered
from extreme poverty and famines during
British rule.
The British government and British individuals
gained a lot of wealth from trade with India,
which they used in part to fund the Industrial
Revolution.
Partition of India (2.b)
When Britain granted India independence, 75 years ago, the territory it had ruled over
was divided, or partitioned, into India and the new state of Pakistan (with East Pakistan
later becoming Bangladesh).
This created an upsurge of violence, in which approximately 15 million people were
displaced and an estimated one million died.
India and Pakistan have remained rivals ever since.
The population was about 25% Muslim, with the rest mostly Hindu but also Sikh,
Buddhist and other religions.
"The British used religion as a way of dividing people in India into categories," Prof
Navtej Purewal, Indian fellow for the Arts and Humanities Research Council, says.
• "For example, they created separate Muslim and Hindu lists of voters for local elections.
• "There were seats reserved for Muslim politicians and seats reserved for Hindus.
• "Religion became a factor in politics."
Urbanisation and Economic Development in India (2.d)
What is the misconception?
In comparison to HICs, India has seen tremendous urban progress. It is estimated that by 2030,
more than 400 million people will be living in cities in India. Cities occupy 3 percent of land but
the contribution to India's gross domestic product is a huge 60 per cent.
Contrary to popular perception, however, India's population growth rate has actually slowed
down in the last few decades—from a 24.7% growth between 1971 and 1981 to a 17.7% growth
between 2001 and 2011—due to the rising levels of education and healthcare, as well as the
alleviation of poverty.
Nowadays, urbanisation is considered to be relatively slow in India, with the share of the
population living in officially classified urban settlements growing at a rate of just over 1.15
percent a year from 2001-2011.
Why is this the case?
The speed of urbanization is slow in the country because agricultural land needs to be converted
to industrial and other types of land and it takes time. Moreover, the compensation given to the
farmers for the landowners to build the infrastructure is very less, and this leads to sow growth
of urbanization.
Spatial Change: Urbanisation https://ourworldindata.org/human-development-index

India (MIC): Opportunities

It is estimated that by 2030, more than 400 million people will be living in cities in India.
Cities occupy 3 percent of land
but the contribution to India's
gross domestic product is a huge
60 per cent, that’s about 2/3 of
the economic output.
Urban living is linked with higher
levels of literacy and education,
better health, longer life
expectancy, greater access to
social services, and enhanced
opportunities for cultural and
political participation.
Spatial Change: Urbanisation
India (MIC): Consequences
• Overpopulation:
• India have a significant problem with overpopulation in cities due to rural-urban drivers of migration. This has resulted in a
lack of accommodation, the growth of slums and a poorer quality of life.
• Already, slums now account for about 26% of all urban population in cities. In Mumbai, more than half the population lives
in slums.
• Disintegration of Joint Family:
• Joint families (where 3 or 4 generations live under a single household) can’t be maintained in cities on account of high cost
of living.
• Cost of Living:
• High cost of living is a major problem in cities. In Metro cities like Mumbai, Bangalore etc it is very difficult for lower income
groups to maintain a decent standard of living
• Increase in Crime Rate:
• Urban centres are known for high rate of crimes: theft, murder, cheating, pick pocketing, rape etc
• Impersonal Relations:
• Urban centres are characterised by highly secondary relations. The concept of neighbourhood community life are almost
absent in cities. Urban life is highly monotonous.
• Problem of Pollution:
• In industrialised cities pollution is a major problem. It is caused by industries and the excessive movement of vehicles
Urbanisation: Spatial Change
China (MIC):
What is communism?
A theory or system of social organization in which all property is owned by the
community and each person contributes and receives according to their ability and
needs.

What is the difference between open and closed communism?

The idea of ‘opening-up’ policies, with the introduction of the ideological concept of
socialism (a political and economic theory of social organization which advocates
that the means of production, distribution, and exchange should be owned or
regulated by the community as a whole) with Chinese characteristics, opened China
to the world’s markets and allowed an element of free trade.
Chinese Communist Party
China’s Special Economic Zones
Special economic zones (SEZs) in mainland
China are granted more free market-oriented
economic policies and flexible governmental
measures by the government of China,
compared to the planned economy
elsewhere. This allows SEZs to utilize
economic management which is more
attractive to foreign and domestic businesses.

Using your understanding of SEZ’s and

economic development, what do you think a
definition for a ‘gateway city’ might be?
Gateway Cities https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0304387812000934

A gateway city is a ‘midsize’ urban area that serves an economic anchor of its
surrounding areas and regions.
They are not just unique to China. For generations, these communities were home to
industry that offered residents good jobs and a “gateway” to the American Dream.
Special Economic Zones
Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Xiamen, Shantou, and Hainan
Province, were the first SEZs established in the 1980s.
These are located on the southeastern coast of China.
Their location was aimed at attracting “overseas”
Chinese capital and as a showcase for the potential
impacts of such a reform. This was dramatically different
from the centrally planned policies that have taken place
since the setting of the People’s Republic of China in
1949. These SEZs were also close to Hong Kong, the only
modern port facility of the time, which had effective
access to the global shipping network.

Kashgar SEZ and Khorgas SEZ are the following two

established in 2010
Wuxi Suzhou
Ningbo
‘Go West’ and China’s Inland Gateway Cities

2020 marked the 20th anniversary of China’s ‘Go West’ state-level strategy

“Twenty years ago, less than 50% of China’s population lived in urban area (as
compared with 60% in 2019), and differences between the East (coastal) and the
West (inland) was huge. Since then, infrastructure and real estate construction
fuelled the pace of urbanisation, whilst inland gateway cities such as Chengdu,
Chongqing and Xi’an, gained unprecedented momentum with an influx of capital
and labour forces. During 2009-2019, Southwest China’s GDP recorded cumulative
growth of 259%, outpacing all other regions in China. Growth was particularly
strong during the period between 2016 and 2019.”
 The Growth in GDP

The Growth in Cross-Border Trade

Urbanisation in China
Why did the CCP promote urbanisation alongside its
economic reform:
1. There was a large number of surplus agricultural
workers following former displacement following the
‘Household Responsibility System’ in the 1970s that
promoted rural-urban migration to support food
production.
2. In order to support economic reform, workers were
required in economic hubs to support industry
development as a result of growing world trade. The
inflow of foreign direct investment (FDI) created
massive employment opportunities, which fostered
urban population growth.
3. In 1984 a decision was taken to broaden the criteria
for classifying an areas as a city or a town.
2020 Targets
Rural-Urban Migration:
The government will “strive to achieve the transfer of around 100 million agricultural population
and other resident population into cities and towns” by 2020, the guidance said. China's 269
million rural migrant workers include some 166 million who have already entered cities
Numbers of New Cities and Towns:
Chinese Government announced it had decided to build twenty new cities each year for the
next twenty years; in total, approximately 400 new cities will be designed and built before 2020.
Urbanisation (%):
On March 16, Premier Li Keqiang's State Council and the central committee of the Communist
Party released the “National New-type Urbanization Plan (2014-2020),” which sets clear
targets: By 2020 the country will have 60 percent of its people living in cities, up from 53.7
percent now (2014)
The National New-Type Urbanisation Plan (2014-2020)
NUP aims to connect four major plans of ecological progress, urbanisation quality, expanding
domestic demand and rural-urban coordination.
In order to optimize patterns of urbanisation, the NUP proposes the coordinated development
of small towns, cities, and city clusters in the inland and western parts of the country,
building on the progress made by the Strategy of China's Western Development (xibu
dakaifa) and the Plan for the Rejuvenation of Central China (zhongbu jueqi zhanlue). In
addition to developing and making use of emerging transportation networks, including the
Yangtze River.
This ultimately presents the opportunity to better integrate China into the capitalist world
economy through the progressive implementation of the neoliberal measures of marketisation,
deregulation, and privatisation, while relying on socialism as a basis of legitimacy.
Task: Consider the opportunities and threats associated with this strategy
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0264275119307413#:~:text=The%20New%20Urbanization%20Plan
%20(2014,Xinhua%20News%20Agency%2C%202014)
.
“This will progressively increase the number of urban consumers, “It shows that even though the pace of converting
continually enhance the structure of consumption, and establish rural migrants has kept up with the NUP's schedule, it
limitless potential for consumption. This will also provoke the has been accompanied by only a slight increase in the
necessity of making substantial investments to urban level of urban social security and welfare coverage.”
infrastructure, public service facilities, and the construction of
residential housing, which will generate sustainable dynamics of
economic development” (Xinhua News Agency, 2014:7) The term “state neoliberalism” can characterize this
new phase of urban expansion, with its simultaneous
effort to promote economic development while
“Although a certain level of optimization of urban expansion has maintaining socialist legitimacy. The continuing
occurred, with the relocation of secondary industries to cities in relevance of the economic, political, and strategic
inland/western regions and enhancement of their nodal roles, interests of state actors in shaping China's
the introduction of differentiated hukou systems has not reduced urbanization serves as a reminder that agglomeration
the absolute or relative growth of household registered and scale externalities can only ever be a partial
population in the coastal city clusters” explanation for urbanization in China

“With the progressive integration of the country into the world capitalist economy, the GRP contributions of the
secondary and tertiary sectors6 in 2013 reached 46.2% and 49.5%, respectively, in the eastern coastal region and 53.5%
and 34.8% in the inland/western regions. Between 2013 and 2016, the secondary sector's GRP contribution continued to
grow, although not as rapidly as the tertiary sector (see Table 3). More significant for the present discussion, the 13.0%
increase in the secondary sector's GRP contribution among the coastal city clusters between 2013 and 2016 was matched
by a 6.5% (2,308,000 persons) decrease in secondary-sector employment. This was more severe than the 3.5% decrease
in nationwide secondary-sector employment and contrasted with the 1.5% (362,000 persons) increase in secondary-
sector employment in the inland/western city clusters.”
Hukou
The hukou system (also known as the household registration system)
codifies various social inequalities in China by dividing the population into
two classes, rural and urban, to determine where citizens can receive public
services.
Due to the hukou registration system, at
least 250 million migrant workers lack
access to social payments, whether it be
for their children's education or medical
assistance for themselves
Plans were announced in 2022 to reform
the hukou
Shanghai
Task:
Where is Shanghai?

How has the population of

Shanghai changed in the
last decade?

What has the city changed

in order to facilitate this
growth?

Give an example of this

change
Shanghai – The Fastest Growing Economy in History
Location:
Shanghai is located on the Yangtze Estuary of China's east coast, with the Yangtze River to the north and
Hangzhou Bay to the south, with the East China Sea to the east.
Size/Growth:
The population of Shanghai was 26.32 million in 2019. This is double the population of the city in 1995.
The city has experienced unprecedented rapid urbanisation, with growth expected to reach 34.34 million
by 2035. This is also being actively encouraged by the Government, the People’s Republic of China
Change of Economic Purpose:
Shanghai is transforming into a post-industrial economy. Its tertiary industry, or service sector, accounts
for over 70 percent of the city's GDP and is still rapidly growing.
Example of New Infrastructure:
Megaprojects in China’s $1 trillion infrastructure plan – renewable energy surge, water tunnel, green
cities, high speed rail and data centres
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2022-08-25/how-china-will-spend-1-trillion-on-infrastructure-to-boost-e
conomy
New Development Plan – 2021 - 2025
China's top economic planner has unveiled major tasks in promoting new urbanization and
integrated urban-rural development in 2022, vowing to deepen reform of the household
registration system and help migrant workers better integrate into cities.
In deepening reform of the household registration system (hukou), cities with a permanent
resident population under 3 million should remove all limits on household registration,
according to the plan released by the National Development and Reform Commission
(NDRC).
The renovation of old urban communities will be accelerated, as the country aims to
improve the basic living conditions of 8.4 million households in 2022, according to the plan.
The supply of government-subsidized housing will be increased, with a focus on addressing
the concerns of new arrivals and young people in big cities, the plan says.
China's urbanization rate of permanent residence hit 64.72 percent in 2021, said the NDRC.
The country aims to raise its urbanization rate to 65 percent during the 2021-2025 period,
according to the 14th Five-Year Plan.
China:
MIC
Urbanisation: Spatial Change
Brazil (MIC):
The increased demand for labour and higher demographic growth
rates promoted further migration and rapid urban growth. In the
period between 1940 and 1950 an estimated 3 million migrants
moved to towns and cities from rural areas, equivalent to 10 per
cent of the rural population in 1940.
The 20th century, brought seismic changes to the Brazilian economy
and to the social fabric itself, with Brazil moving from being a rural
to an urban nation.
Since then, although economic cycles of boom and bust have
plagued the country, more recently they have been replaced by
steady growth, with Brazil making its presence felt on the
international stage. In 2002, former metalworker Luis Inácio da
Silva, popularly known as Lula, became Brazil's first left-wing
president in 40 years. He followed sensible economic policies and
was re-elected in 2006.
Boom?
Although the Brazilian economy
has fared better than most
throughout the world economic
downturn – Brazil has now
become one of the world’s 10
biggest economies, with a GDP
over US$1.3 trillion, and nearly
70 percent of its exports are
industrial goods – 2013 saw
growing unrest in Brazil as
sections of the public more
vocally questioned government
economic and social policies, as
well as the Workers Party’s
behaviour.
Bust?
Both Brazil and Indonesia have
experienced a tremendous and
overwhelming migration of residents
from rural areas to urban areas. This
has caused a rise in favelas/slums with
inadequate sanitary conditions as well
as increased crime.
The gap between rich and poor is still
greater than almost anywhere else in
the world, and in most cities,
unemployment has led to a rise in
crime
São Paulo
Only when coffee became Brazil's vital export crop in the
last decades of the 19th century did São Paulo become a
major centre of economic activity with concomitant
population growth.
Currently, telecommunications, IT, commerce and finance,
as well as the automotive, food-processing and
pharmaceutical industries are the main employers in São
Paulo.
TNCs are important in globalisation, both contributing to
its spread (global production networks, glocalisation and
the development of new markets) and taking advantage
of economic liberalisation (outsourcing and offshoring)
Glocalisation
• Some TNCs sell identical 'authentic' products in
all countries, e.g. Lego, Louis Vuitton handbags
• Glocalisation is the process of adapting brands
and products to suit the local market
conditions, such as taste, laws or culture.
• Cadbury's chocolate is less sweet in China due to
local tastes
• McDonald's only has vegetarian outlets in some
parts of India due to the local Hindu and Sikh beliefs
• Volvo driving seats positioned on the different sides
of the car
• Dutch 'big brother' refilmed using local participants
• MTV avoid overtly sexual music videos in the
Middle East due to local culture and religion
Outsourcing and Offshoring
Outsourcing
• This is the process where a firm contracts with another company to obtain goods or services from it.
• BMW, the German TNC, outsources component production to 2,500 different suppliers for the Mini - the engine is made
by Brazilian suppliers, where the wage rate is lower, windscreen made in France where there are no tariffs because it's in
the EU
• Outsourcing is more flexible than offshoring as the TNC can quickly shift supplier if a cheaper source becomes available.
• However, less direct control over the production process can lead to problems, e.g. in 2013 Tesco discovered that its
Romanian supplier was mixing horsemeat into budget beefburgers
• This is usually administration and data processing - Bangalore in India is known for this
Offshoring
• This is the process of moving part of a company's own production process to another country, e.g. building a new factory
in China, where wage rates are lower.
• Especially to SEZs in Asian countries.
• It reduces costs as wage rates are lower, tax rates are lower, proximity to raw materials reduces transport costs, less
environmental regulation.
• However, some firms are vertically integrated, carrying all stages of the production process out themselves, e.g. Royal
Dutch Shell.
Neocolonialism
Neocolonialism has been broadly understood as a further development of
capitalism that enables capitalist powers (both nations and corporations) to
dominate subject nations through the operations of international capitalism
rather than by means of direct rule.
Economic neocolonialism extracts the human and natural resources of a poor
country to flow to the economies of the wealthy countries. It claims that the
poverty of the peripheral countries is the result of how they are integrated in the
global economic system.
Critics of neocolonialism also argue that investment by multinational corporations
enriches few in underdeveloped countries and causes humanitarian,
environmental and ecological damage to their populations. They argue that this
results in unsustainable development and perpetual underdevelopment.
Urbanisation: Spatial Change
Ethiopia (LIC):
Task:
Describe the distribution of
population in Ethiopia

Explain how this has changed

overtime

How does this compare to

more developed countries?
Ethiopia (LIC)
Ethiopia is one of the least urbanised countries in the world today, and only
18% of its population lives in urban areas.
In common with many other developing countries, however, this pattern is
changing (Figure 5.4). Ethiopia’s urban growth rate is more than 4.0% per
year, which places it among the highest in Africa and the world.
The rapid increase in urban populations has meant that peri-urban areas are
growing much more quickly than formal urban centres. Peri-urban areas are
those areas immediately around a town or city. They are areas in transition
from countryside to city (rural to urban), often with undeveloped
infrastructure, where health and sanitation services are under pressure and
where the natural environment is at risk of degradation.
 Figure 1 Figure 2
Using Figure 1 and
Figure 2, and your
own knowledge,
explain the
relationship between
population density
and urban extents in
Ethiopia (5 marks)
Addis Ababa
Task: Access the Addis Abada pdf in Teams – answer the questions
Counterurbanisation
Reurbanisation
Competition for Land
Urban Renewal
Sustainability
University of Glasgow Research
https://www.gla.ac.uk/explore/sustainability/research/urbanissues/