Urban issues and challenges · GCSE Geography

Urbanisation

Urbanisation is the increase in the proportion of people living in towns and cities. More than half of the world's population now lives in urban areas.
It is fastest in low-income countries (LICs) and newly emerging economies (NEEs). It is caused by rural–urban migration and by natural increase (more births than deaths, because many migrants are young).
Push factors drive people from the countryside (poverty, few services, drought, conflict). Pull factors draw them to cities (jobs, schools, healthcare and a hope of a better life).
Megacities have more than 10 million people, such as Tokyo, Delhi, Lagos and São Paulo. Most are in LICs and NEEs.

Rio is on the south-east coast of Brazil, and is its second-largest city. It is a major port and a centre for services, tourism (Copacabana beach and the Christ the Redeemer statue), offshore oil, and culture such as Carnival. It hosted the 2016 Olympic Games.
It grew through rural–urban migration, especially from the poorer north-east of Brazil, and through natural increase.
Opportunities: better access to healthcare, education, water and electricity, and jobs in manufacturing, services and tourism.
Challenges: about one in five people live in favelas (informal settlements), such as Rocinha, with poor housing, a lack of clean water and sanitation, crime and drug gangs, and unemployment. There is also pollution, such as in Guanabara Bay, and traffic congestion.
Urban planning: the Favela Bairro Project improved many favelas with paved roads, water supplies and sewerage, community centres and crèches, and gave residents legal ownership of their homes. Living conditions improved, but it was expensive, and problems such as crime remained.

Bristol is in south-west England, on the River Avon, with about 470,000 people. It grew as a port, and today its big employers include aerospace (Airbus and Rolls-Royce at Filton), universities, media and finance.
Migration from the rest of the UK and abroad has made Bristol a diverse, multicultural city.
Opportunities: culture and entertainment (music, festivals and the Harbourside), jobs, integrated transport such as MetroBus, and green initiatives. Bristol was the European Green Capital in 2015.
Challenges: big differences in income, health and life expectancy between areas; derelict old industrial land; a shortage of affordable housing; the choice between building on brownfield or greenfield sites; waste disposal; and urban sprawl.
Regeneration: the Temple Quarter, around Temple Meads station, is being redeveloped with offices, homes and a university campus. The old docks at Harbourside were regenerated with museums, homes and restaurants.

Saving water (such as rainwater harvesting), saving energy (such as insulation and solar panels), recycling waste and creating green spaces.
Sustainable transport: park-and-ride schemes, cycle lanes, bus lanes, congestion charges (such as London's) and trams or rapid bus systems.

Urbanisation: An increase in the proportion of people living in towns and cities.
Rural–urban migration: People moving from the countryside to towns and cities.
Push factor: Something that makes people want to leave a place.
Pull factor: Something that attracts people to a place.
Natural increase: When the birth rate is higher than the death rate.
Megacity: A city with more than 10 million people.
Favela: An informal settlement in a Brazilian city.
Regeneration: Improving a run-down area.
Brownfield site: Land that has been built on before.
Greenfield site: Land that has never been built on, usually countryside.
Urban sprawl: A town or city spreading out into the surrounding countryside.