Urban Growth

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Urban Growth

Causes

  • Natural population growth - urban areas have a higher proportion of younger people. They may move to the city due to better job prospects or education and have a family.
  • Rural-urban migration - Push and pull factors influence rates of migration, but many migrants choose to go to cities due to a larger employment market, a perceived better quality of life and access to services

Effects

  • Urban sprawl - cities grow out into the surrounding area to accommodate a growing population, linking to suburbanisation. This requires more infrastructure, causes habitat loss and agricultural land loss, increases air pollution and impact water cycles. It is also linked to decentralisation. In some cases edge cities may develop.
  • Shortage of housing (LICs) - population density is high so areas of informal housing may develop. These are unplanned, may be hazardous or unsafe, may not have adequate infrastructure and suffer from poor conditions - slum upgrading programmes
  • Shortage of housing (HICs) - rising demand for houses means rising house market prices and original residents are pushed out in gentrification e.g London as a site of purchases made by wealthy foreign investors.
  • Lack of urban services - maintenance and provision of services can be limited, as well as the increasing amount of waste produced by a population (health hazard)
  • Unemployment and underemployment - pressure for sufficient jobs for younger people - typically high rates
  • Transport issues - more congestion can result in pollution and poor health - surges of commuters

Overall summary

Cities hold much of the national economic activity, population and businesses, but the rising population puts increasing pressure on the urban services and can have a detrimental effect on infrastructure, housing markets, waste disposal and transport.

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