Impacts of Urban Growth | Geography for GCSE/IGCSE - Year 11 PDF Download

Impacts of Urban Growth

• Urban environments provide diverse prospects for both individuals and businesses.
• Nevertheless, hasty and uncoordinated urban expansion gives rise to numerous challenges, such as inadequate housing, socio-economic disparities, unemployment, congestion, transportation issues, crime, and environmental degradation.
• The pace of urban development is most rapid in less economically developed countries (LEDCs), exemplified by Sao Paulo in Brazil, which saw its population soar from 7 million to over 20 million in just four decades, now ranking as the second-largest urban area in the Americas.

Transport

• The infrastructure for roads and public transportation is often of substandard quality, limited in size, and unreliable.
• The rapid pace of urban development results in transportation systems that are frequently overwhelmed and congested.
• Urban traffic congestion fluctuates based on factors such as the day of the week, time of day, weather conditions, and the season.
• The large volume of vehicles on the roads contributes significantly to air pollution, leading to issues like smog.
• The influx of impoverished rural migrants exacerbates the shortage of affordable housing, increasing demand pressure.
• Challenges in transportation force individuals to reside closer to their workplaces, impacting residential choices.
• Informal settlements emerge as a response to housing inadequacies, further worsening overcrowding and living conditions in already congested urban areas.

Housing

• Affordable housing options are often insufficient, leading to a housing crisis for many individuals.
• Inadequate urban planning and development result in overcrowding and substandard living conditions.
• Housing shortages force people to seek residence in close proximity to their workplaces.
• The lack of proper housing infrastructure gives rise to informal settlements and slums, exacerbating urban congestion and health risks.
• Causes of Informal Settlements in LEDCs:
  • Due to the rapid urban population growth in LEDCs, the availability and affordability of housing are inadequate.
  • People resort to constructing their dwellings using materials like cardboard, corrugated iron, and plastic on vacant lands.
  • These settlements emerge as unplanned and unregulated, lacking proper sanitation, freshwater, and energy access.
• Characteristics of Informal Settlements
  • Informal settlements are often situated on lands without ownership by inhabitants, typically found in:
    • Areas with no economic value
    • Urban peripheries
    • Along major transportation routes
    • Steep slopes
  • They are known by various names based on the country, such as favelas, shanty towns, bustees, skid row, or townships.
• Examples of Mega-Slums in Different Countries
  • Nairobi, Kenya: Kibera, housing 1.5 million residents in mud huts and tin shacks
  • Neza, Mexico City, Mexico: a population of 1.1 million people
  • Dharavi, Mumbai, India: home to 1 million people in congested living spaces doubling as factories
  • Orangi Town, Karachi, Pakistan: an estimated 2.4 million residents in concrete block homes
  • Khayelitsha, Cape Town, South Africa: 400,000 people living in iron and wooden shacks
• Challenges Faced by Inhabitants of Informal Settlements
  • These settlements pose risks like fire hazards, flooding, and landslides due to their unregulated nature.
  • Common issues include overcrowded and poor-quality housing, limited water access, inadequate sanitation, and waste management.
  • Health facilities are lacking, leading to increased illness and mortality rates among residents.
  • Inhabitants face insecurity as they could be evicted by landowners or authorities at any time.

Issues of the informal economy

• Megacities experience rapid population growth, outpacing job creation efforts.
• Consequently, unemployment and underemployment rates are high.
• Many individuals resort to informal employment opportunities such as shoe shining, hair cutting, taxi driving, and selling goods like water or food on street corners.
• These informal jobs are typically unskilled, labor-intensive, and require minimal initial investment.
• The informal economy deprives cities of revenue due to workers' non-payment of taxes, hampering the provision of adequate services.
• Furthermore, it complicates the regulation of wages and working conditions.

Deprivation and inequality

• Deprivation, linked with poverty, arises when an individual's quality of life falls below an acceptable threshold.
• This standard varies across countries and encompasses various aspects of daily living.
• Deprivation extends beyond mere financial insufficiency.

Cycle of Poverty

• The cycle of poverty refers to a self-reinforcing phenomenon where individuals or communities remain trapped in poverty over generations.
• Limited access to quality education, healthcare, and job opportunities perpetuate this cycle.
• Lack of resources and opportunities often lead to inadequate living conditions, poor health outcomes, and limited economic mobility.
• Breaking the cycle requires interventions that address systemic issues and provide opportunities for education, skill development, and economic empowerment.

Urban Poverty in LEDCs

• Inequality exists in all cities, but it is particularly severe in less economically developed countries (LEDCs).
• Many low-income families are drawn to informal settlements on the outskirts of urban areas, seeking a sense of community with others facing similar circumstances.
• In areas lacking strong social networks or experiencing a recent influx of migrants, high levels of crime, begging, and petty theft are prevalent.
• This overall situation fosters urban poverty, which deteriorates both the physical and social fabric of the surrounding environment.
• As a result, individuals find it challenging to break free from poverty, often becoming trapped in a relentless cycle of deprivation. Urban poverty becomes deeply entrenched within the city.
• Coupled with inadequate employment opportunities, housing, water supply, sanitation, waste management, and pollution, the overall quality of life for urban dwellers is significantly diminished.
  
• Poverty and deprivation tend to perpetuate across generations.
• Children from impoverished backgrounds typically receive limited parental assistance and often attend substandard schools.
• They commonly leave education prematurely, lacking qualifications necessary for secure, well-paying jobs.
• Without these qualifications, they rely on social assistance.
• Their own children are then born into this cycle, perpetuating the cycle of poverty and trapping families in unimproved circumstances.
• This contributes to a diminished quality of life.

Impacts of Urban Growth on Rural Areas

Urbanization affects rural areas in various ways, leading to significant transformations and challenges.
Rural-Urban migration:

• Migration of people from rural to urban areas in search of better opportunities and improved living standards.
• Example: Young individuals moving from villages to cities for education and employment prospects.

Infrastructure development:

• Construction of infrastructure like roads, bridges, and utilities in rural regions due to urban expansion.
• Example: Building highways connecting rural towns to urban centers for enhanced connectivity.

Environmental impact:

• Deterioration of rural ecosystems due to urban sprawl and industrial activities.
• Example: Pollution from urban areas affecting air and water quality in nearby rural communities.

Economic changes:

• Shift in traditional livelihoods towards modern industries and services influenced by urban growth.
• Example: Farmers diversifying into agro-processing businesses to cater to urban markets.