Transcript Slide 1

Chapter 10
The Urban World
Population and Urbanization
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According to sociologists – three urban
revolutions have transformed human
society
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8000-2000 BCE – first time people moved to
cities
1700-1950 – development of modern cities as
commerce replaced farming
Currently – greatest population growth is
occurring in cities in developing countries
Population and Urbanization
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As of 2008 – half of world’s population
lives in urban areas
What Makes a City?
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Denmark – 250 people
Greece – 10,000 people
US – 2,500 people
Jobs define urban vs. rural, not populations
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Rural area occupations involve harvesting
natural resources
Urban area occupations involve jobs not
connected with natural resources
Population and Urbanization
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Urbanization
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Process in which people increasingly move from
rural areas to densely population cities
People are moving to cities due to decrease
in employment opportunities in rural areas
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Advances of agriculture – fewer farmers
support an increased number of people
Land Tenure – many developing countries a few
rich people own the land, farmers are denied
access
Cities traditionally provide more jobs
Characteristics of Urban Population
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Basic characteristics of city populations:
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Diverse population in terms of race, ethnicity,
religion and socioeconomic status
Younger population than local rural area
More males in
developing nation
cities
More females in
developed nation
cities
Urbanization Trends
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Urbanization is increasing rapidly
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Especially in developing countries
8 of world’s 10 largest cities are in
developing countries
Urbanization Trends
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Almost 400 cities worldwide have a
population of at least 1 million
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284 are in developing nations
Megacities (population greater than 10
million) also increasing
Urbanization Trends
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Urban Agglomeration
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Urbanized core region that consists of several
adjunct cities or megacities and their
surrounding developed suburbs
United States Urban
Agglomerations
(Population of
50,000 or above)
Urbanization Trends in the US
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US – most migration occurred during past
150 years
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Coincided with increased need for industrial
labor and a decreased need for agricultural
labor
Growth was typically slow enough to allow
important city services such as water
purification, sewage treatment, education,
adequate housing
Urbanization Trends in Developing
Nations
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Faster pace of urban growth has
outstripped the limited capacity of many
cities to provide basic services
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Overwhelmed economic growth, although cities
offer more job opportunities than in rural
areas
Face more serious problems than cities in
developed nations – poverty, exceptionally high
unemployment, heavy pollution, inadequate or
non-existent water, sewage, and waste disposal
Strains school, medical, and transportation
systems
Substandard Housing
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Typically occupied
by squatters
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No city services
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Illegally occupy
unsafe housing
Water, sewage,
garbage collection,
police and fire
protection
1/3 of urban population in developing countries are
squatters
Homelessness is present in lower numbers in
developed countries
City as an Ecosystem
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POET
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Population
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Organization
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City infrastructure and natural environment
Technology
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Social structure of city
Environment
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Number of people
Human inventions that directly affects the urban
environment
Four variables are dependent on each
other and interact like parts of a natural
ecosystem
Land Use- Park
City, Utah
Mixed Use
Single Family Residential
Full Satellite View of City
Undeveloped Open Space
Environmental Problems in Urban Areas
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Growing urban areas affect land use
patterns
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Brownfields
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Fragment wildlife
Encroach wetlands, forests, desert, etc.
Urban areas of abandoned industrial or
residential sites that may be contaminated
from past use
Impermeable surfaces and urban runoff
discharged into waterways
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Motor oil, lawn fertilizers, heavy metals
Environmental Problems in Urban Areas
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Long commutes
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Noise pollution
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Traffic congested streets
Buildup of airborne emissions due to cars and
industry
Loud, disagreeable, results in
physiological/psychological harm
Urban heat island
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Local heat buildup in an area of high population
density
Affect local air currents and weather conditions
Contribute to buildup of pollutants- dust domes
Urban Heat Island
Temperature variations on a summer afternoon
Environmental Benefits of Urbanization
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Well-planned city can benefit the
environment
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Reduces pollution
Preserves rural areas
Compact Development
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Design of cities where residential buildings are
close to shopping, jobs and public
transportation
Portland, Oregon
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Population has grown from 0.9 million in
1975 to 1.8 million in 2005
Urbanized area only increased 2%
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Used brownfields for development sites
Car is still primary means of transportation
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Light-rail lines
Bus routes (many have buses every 15 minutes)
Walkways
Chicago, Illinois
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Population grew 22%
Urbanized area grew 50% due to sprawl
Urban Land Use Planning
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Land use based on economic concerns
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From center of city outwards:
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Taxes pay for city’s infrastructure
City center- Central Business District (highest
taxes)
Residential properties (lower taxes than city
center)
Land intensive businesses (even lower taxes)
Suburbs (lowest taxes)
Parks and green space are interspersed
Urban Land Use Planning
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High taxes near central business district
mean that only more affluent people can
afford to live in cities
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Most cities in North America:
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Poor neighborhoods with few housing options
Little or no green space
Inferior schools
Fewer public services
Urban Land Use Planning
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As cities became more industrialized, more
affluent citizens fled to suburbs
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Avoid noise and pollution
Leave poor in inner cities
Poor cannot afford to pay high taxes, also
cannot afford high transportation costs
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High density housing – tax burden shared with
many families
Gentrification
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Movement of wealthier people back to
older, run-down homes that have been
renovated
Sometimes displacing the urban poor who
can no longer afford to live in the
neighborhood
Urban Land Use Planning
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Land Use Planning
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Process of deciding the best use for
undeveloped land in a given area
Influenced by political and economic
factors
Regulated through zoning
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Cities divided into use zones
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Commercial
Residential
Industrial
Property owners must meet zoning ordinances
Transportation and Urban Development
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Transportation
availability
affects city’s
spatial
structure
Ex: An east
coast US city
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(a) 1700-1850
(b) 1850-1910
(c) 20th century
Suburbs
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Prior to World War II
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Jobs and homes were centered in cities
1940s and 1950s
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Jobs and homes began to move from urban
centers
Suburban Sprawl
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Suburban Sprawl
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Problems
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Patchwork of vacant and developed tracts around
the edges of cities
Loss of wetlands
Air pollution
Water pollution
Loss of biological
habitat
11 states now have
new growth management laws (Smart Growth)
Smart Growth
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Urban planning and transportation strategy
Mixes land uses
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Commercial
Manufacturing
Entertainment
Range of housing types
Compact development
Communities in which it is easy to walk from
one area to another
Preserves open spaces, farmlands, important
environmental areas
Sustainable Cities
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Livable environment
Strong economy
Social and cultural sense of community
Sustainable cities enhance the well-being
of current and future generations of urban
dwellers
Making Cities More Sustainable
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Characteristics of a sustainable city
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Clear, cohesive urban growth policies
Efficient use of energy and other resources
Reduction of pollution and waste
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Reuse and recycle materials in waste stream
Large areas of green space
Designed to be people-centers, not carcentered
Food grown IN the city (rooftop gardens)
Compact development
Copenhagen, Denmark
A People-centered City
Sustainable Cities
Case in Point- Curitiba, Brazil
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City of more than 2.9 million
Inexpensive, efficient mass transit system
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Clean, modern buses that run in high-speed bus
lanes
High density development restricted to
areas along bus lines
Since 1975 population has tripled, traffic
has declined
Sustainable Cities
Case in Point- Curitiba, Brazil
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First city in Brazil to use low-polluting fuel
Converted flood-prone properties along
rivers in the city to a series of
interconnected parks crisscrossed by
bicycle paths
Garbage Purchase program
Sustainable Cities
Case in Point- Curitiba, Brazil