Transcript Factors Contributing to Urbanization

Chapter 13, Cities in Crisis




The Global Context: a World View of
Urbanization
Sociological Theories of Urbanization
Cities and Social Problems
Strategies for Action: Saving Our Cities
Urbanization
Share of world population living in urban areas:
 1900: 1/10
 1960: 1/3
 2000: 1/2
 2030: an estimated 61%
Most Populated Cities in World





Tokyo-Yokohama, Japan
Mexico City, Mexico
Sao Paulo, Brazil
Seoul, South Korea
Bombay, India
Factors Contributing to
Urbanization



High birth rates in urban areas.
Rural dwellers migrate to urban areas to flee
war or natural disasters and find employment.
Governments spend more to improve urban
infrastructures and services, while neglecting
the needs of rural areas.
Factors That Contribute to
Suburbanization




Racial prejudices led to whites moving to the
suburbs.
Federal road building and grants for sewer
construction.
Addition of satellite branches for some
businesses.
Technology facilitated the movement to the
suburbs.
Effects of Urban Sprawl





Traffic congestion
Pollution
Loss of open, green spaces
Noise
Endangerment of wildlife
Structural-Functionalist
Perspective
Dysfunctions of urbanization:
 Dense population facilitates spread of
infectious diseases.
 Overcrowding, poverty and environmental
destruction.
Conflict Perspective



Emphasizes the role of power, wealth and
profit motive in development of urban areas.
Capitalism contributes to migration of rural
inhabitants to cities.
Individuals and groups with wealth and power
influence decisions that affect urban
populations.
Symbolic Interactionist Perspective


Efforts to redefine cities in positive terms are
reflected in campaigns sponsored by
convention and visitors bureaus.
Distinctive cultures and lifestyles of cities
influence their residents’ self-concepts, values
and behaviors.
Classical Theoretical View



Urban living emphasizes individuality and
detachment from interpersonal relationships.
Primary social bonds weaken in favor of
superficial social bonds.
Social solidarity weakens leading to loneliness,
depression, stress.
Modern Theoretical View



Cities do not interfere with functional and
positive interpersonal relationships.
Kinship and ethnicity help bind people together.
City is a patchwork quilt of urban villages that
help individuals deal with the pressures of
urban living.
Urban Poverty



Over 1/4 of the developing world’s urban
population lives below the poverty line.
In some of the world’s poorest countries, half of
the urban population lives in deprivation.
1999 U.S. Poverty rate was 16.4% inside
central cities compared with 11.8% overall.
Drug Addiction, AIDS, and Crime



High rates of drug use and addiction in urban
areas are related to joblessness, poverty, and
hopelessness.
Rates of property and violent crime are higher
in metropolitan areas than rural areas.
Rates of HIV/AIDS are higher in urban areas
due to high rates of risk behavior by city
dwellers.
Dependency on Cars
Factors that encourage dependency:
 Free and tax-free parking provided by
employers.
 Glamorization of automobiles (perpetuated by
auto industry).
 Federal subsidies that favor new roads over
public transit.
Dependency on Cars
In 1930s:
 National city lines bought and closed down
more than 100 electric trolley lines in 45 U.S.
Cities.
 They were backed by 3 major auto makers, oil
companies, tire manufacturers, and trucking
and construction industries.
Sprawl and the Displacement and
Endangerment of Wildlife


Natural habitats are replaced with pavement,
buildings, and human communities.
Coyotes, normally found only in the west and in
Appalachia, are being sighted in every state.
Sprawl and the Displacement and
Endangerment of Wildlife


Deer cause an estimated half-million vehicle
accidents a year, killing 100 people and injuring
thousands more.
According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife service,
habitat loss is the number one reason why
wildlife species are becoming endangered.
Smart Growth




Mixed-land use, similar to mixed-use
neighborhoods.
Compact housing design.
Preservation of open space, farmland and
natural beauty.
Redevelopment of existing, decaying
communities.