Urbanisation Basics
Why Cities Grow
Urban Opportunities
Urban Challenges
Managing Cities
New York & Shanghai
100
What does urbanisation mean?
An increase in the proportion of a country's population living in urban areas.
100
What is rural–urban migration?
Movement of people from countryside/rural areas to towns and cities.
100
Give one economic opportunity created by cities.
More jobs, businesses, higher wages, markets, investment etc.
100
What major transport problem occurs when too many vehicles use urban roads?
Traffic congestion.
100
How can improved public transport make a city more sustainable?
It can reduce car use, congestion, fuel consumption and air pollution.
100
Give one reason Shanghai has experienced major economic and urban growth.
Investment, manufacturing, finance, international trade, port activity, globalisation etc.
200
What is a megacity?
A city/urban area with a population of more than 10 million people.
200
Give one push factor that could cause someone to leave a rural area.
Lack of jobs, low wages, poor services, drought, poor harvests, land shortages etc.
200
Why can people in urban areas have better access to services than people in remote rural areas?
Cities concentrate large populations, making services such as schools and hospitals easier/more economical to provide.
200
Give one environmental problem caused by rapid urban growth.
Air pollution, water pollution, waste, habitat loss, noise, increased emissions etc.
200
Give one benefit of providing more green space in a city.
Recreation, biodiversity, cooler temperatures, better air quality, infiltration, quality of life etc.
200
Shanghai has expanded both outwards and upwards. Give one reason why.
Population/economic growth creates demand for housing and commercial space; high land values encourage vertical growth while development spreads into the urban fringe.
300
What is the difference between urbanisation and urban growth?
Urbanisation = increasing percentage/proportion living in cities. Urban growth = increase in the population/size of an urban area.
300
Give one pull factor attracting migrants to cities.
Employment, higher wages, education, healthcare, services, opportunities etc.
300
What is informal employment?
Work that is not officially registered/regULated and may not involve formal contracts or taxation.
300
Why can rapid urban growth lead to a shortage of adequate housing?
Population may grow faster than houses and infrastructure can be built, increasing overcrowding and informal housing.
300
Why can redeveloping brownfield land be more sustainable than building on undeveloped countryside?
It reuses previously developed land and infrastructure and reduces pressure on greenfield land.
300
Give one way globalisation has created an opportunity for Shanghai.
Foreign investment, jobs, industrial development, finance, international trade or improved infrastructure.
400
What is urban sprawl?
The outward spread of a built-up urban area into surrounding countryside.
400
How can natural increase make a city grow even without new migration?
If births exceed deaths, the existing urban population increases.
400
Why can businesses benefit from locating close together in a large city?
They gain access to workers, customers, suppliers, infrastructure and other businesses.
400
Why can waste and sewage become major problems in rapidly growing cities?
Infrastructure may not keep pace with population growth, leaving insufficient collection and treatment capacity.
400
Explain two benefits of encouraging cycling and walking in cities.
Reduced congestion/emissions plus health benefits, less noise, less space needed for cars etc.
400
Give one major challenge created by Shanghai's rapid growth and explain why it is a problem.
Possible answers include pollution, congestion, pressure on housing/infrastructure, inequality, waste etc.; explanation required.
500
Why do rapidly growing cities often begin to grow upwards as well as outwards?
Land becomes scarce/expensive, so high-rise development allows more people and businesses to occupy a small area.
500
Explain how improved transport links can encourage urban growth.
Better transport attracts businesses/investment, allows commuting and makes parts of the city more accessible for housing and employment.
500
Explain one way urbanisation can contribute to a country's economic development.
Concentration of workers, businesses, infrastructure and investment can increase productivity, employment, trade and tax revenues.
500
Explain how rapid urbanisation can increase social inequality within a city.
Housing, income, jobs and access to services may be distributed very unevenly, producing wealthy and deprived neighbourhoods close together.
500
Why might building at a higher density be more sustainable than continuous urban sprawl?
Less land is consumed, journeys can be shorter, public transport is more viable and infrastructure can serve more people efficiently.
500
Why is sustainable transport particularly important in a city such as New York?
Very large numbers of residents/commuters need to move efficiently; mass transit can reduce road congestion, emissions and land used for cars.
600
Why is urbanisation generally happening faster today in many lower- and middle-income countries than in highly developed countries?
Many developed countries are already highly urbanised. Elsewhere, industrialisation, rural–urban migration and natural increase are producing rapid urban population growth.
600
Why might people continue moving to a rapidly growing city even when they know it suffers from congestion, expensive housing or pollution?
Expected jobs, wages, education, healthcare and long-term opportunities may still seem better than those available in rural areas.
600
Explain why rapid urbanisation can create many opportunities without improving everyone's quality of life equally.
Benefits can be unevenly distributed; some gain skilled jobs and services while poorer residents may face low wages, inadequate housing and limited access to services.
600
Using a named city, explain two challenges created by rapid urban growth.
Named city + two developed challenges, e.g. housing, congestion, pollution, waste, water, inequality.
600
Using a named city, describe one strategy used to solve an urban problem and assess how sustainable it is.
Identify strategy → explain how it works → evaluate environmental, social and economic sustainability.
600
Using New York OR Shanghai, identify one major urban problem, explain one strategy used to address it, and assess how sustainable the strategy is.
Problem → strategy → how it works → environmental/social/economic evaluation → judgement.