Urban Places
WORLD CITIES.............................................................................................................................2
❖ The nature, character and spatial distribution of world cities........................................................... 2
❖ the role of world cities as powerful centres of economic and cultural authority.............................. 4
❖ the operation of global networks......................................................................................................... 10
❖ the relationships of dominance and dependence between world cities and other urban centres
and the changing role of regional centres and the demise of the small town........................................12
MEGA CITIES............................................................................................................................. 13
❖ the nature, character and spatial distribution of mega cities in the developing world.................. 13
❖ The challenges of living in mega cities such as housing, traffic infrastructure, water and power
supplies, sanitation services, employment, and other social and health issues.....................................13
❖ the responses to these challenges such as self-help projects, community self-government,
cooperation from NGOs, urban protest and the operations of informal economies............................14
URBAN DYNAMICS....................................................................................................................16
❖ the urban dynamics of change: suburbanisation, exurbanisation, counterurbanisation,
decentralisation, consolidation, urban decay, urban renewal, urban village, spatial exclusion......... 16
❖ a case study of the results of the urban dynamics in a large city selected from the developed
world including its......................................................................................................................................19
❖ social structure and spatial patterns of advantage and disadvantage, wealth and poverty,
ethnicity....................................................................................................................................................... 21
❖ changing economic character, nature and location of residential land, commercial and industrial
development................................................................................................................................................ 23
❖ culture of place as expressed in the architecture, streetscape, heritage architecture, noise, colour,
street life, energy, vitality and lifestyles....................................................................................................23
❖ growth, development, future trends and ecological sustainability................................................... 24
* A lot of this information was taken from Atomi and my teacher
,Mikayla Steen 2024
* Urbanisation *
❖ = Syllabus dot-point
WORLD CITIES
❖ The nature, character and spatial distribution of world cities
Urbanisation
The most important geographical process shaping the Earth’s cultural geography. The shift from
rural-based lifestyles to those based in towns and cities is the most significant terrestrial event in
human history. Half of the world’s population lives in urban places, This shift will continue for
the foreseeable future, As a result, the world's economic, social, cultural and political processes
are increasingly played out within the the Earth’s systems of towns and cities. This trend seems
irreversible due to the global shift to technology.
- 20% was urban 20 years ago but it is now 30%
Early ways this was achieved were:
➢ Advanced agriculture
➢ Global trading,
➢ Good hygiene and food sources,
➢ Vaccinations or better health care,
➢ Stacked housing
, Mikayla Steen 2024
Building an understanding of the changing nature of cities
How are cities projected to What are the negative What benefits will future What can be done to
change: connotations of urban cities offer (economic, ensure the growth of towns
population growth political, cultural etc) is sustainable (again, think
(economic, environmental, environmentally,
political etc) economically and socially)
- Larger population around -Poverty and homelessness -More money circulation -Relying on renewable
2-3 billion more (9.8 “urban pore” -Economic development energy,
billion) -House prices rise -Larger profits -green spaces like vertical
-More efficient use of -Informal sediments -Larger exchange networks or rooftop gardens
space for transport -More job opportunities -Employment -Reduced reliance on
-New types of Corruption or conflict opportunities private transport
governments -The inequality between -New technologies/ -Access
-Early major international innovations -
the rich and poor
businesses will operate -Larger cultural
increases.
outside of the state differences
-Altering the natural
-The developing world -Easy use of information
environment to make way
will become more urban
for more infrastructure.
China is building what’s
known as Ghost Cities.
-Pollution
-General environmental
degradation
Megacities - Urban centres with more than 10 million people, are 31 megacities.
World city - Going from a car-reliant town to a high rise where cars wouldn’t be needed
Cities are becoming described out with large networks utilising public transport like trains.
In the future, it is predicted that China and India 90% of urbanisation will occur there. But
instead of connecting urban areas, they are creating slums where basic human needs are not met.
- The percentage of those who live in slums was 25.4 to 24.2 per cent between 2014 and
2020
- In most countries, the difference between the 1% and the 99% is the most it has been in
many decades.
WORLD CITIES.............................................................................................................................2
❖ The nature, character and spatial distribution of world cities........................................................... 2
❖ the role of world cities as powerful centres of economic and cultural authority.............................. 4
❖ the operation of global networks......................................................................................................... 10
❖ the relationships of dominance and dependence between world cities and other urban centres
and the changing role of regional centres and the demise of the small town........................................12
MEGA CITIES............................................................................................................................. 13
❖ the nature, character and spatial distribution of mega cities in the developing world.................. 13
❖ The challenges of living in mega cities such as housing, traffic infrastructure, water and power
supplies, sanitation services, employment, and other social and health issues.....................................13
❖ the responses to these challenges such as self-help projects, community self-government,
cooperation from NGOs, urban protest and the operations of informal economies............................14
URBAN DYNAMICS....................................................................................................................16
❖ the urban dynamics of change: suburbanisation, exurbanisation, counterurbanisation,
decentralisation, consolidation, urban decay, urban renewal, urban village, spatial exclusion......... 16
❖ a case study of the results of the urban dynamics in a large city selected from the developed
world including its......................................................................................................................................19
❖ social structure and spatial patterns of advantage and disadvantage, wealth and poverty,
ethnicity....................................................................................................................................................... 21
❖ changing economic character, nature and location of residential land, commercial and industrial
development................................................................................................................................................ 23
❖ culture of place as expressed in the architecture, streetscape, heritage architecture, noise, colour,
street life, energy, vitality and lifestyles....................................................................................................23
❖ growth, development, future trends and ecological sustainability................................................... 24
* A lot of this information was taken from Atomi and my teacher
,Mikayla Steen 2024
* Urbanisation *
❖ = Syllabus dot-point
WORLD CITIES
❖ The nature, character and spatial distribution of world cities
Urbanisation
The most important geographical process shaping the Earth’s cultural geography. The shift from
rural-based lifestyles to those based in towns and cities is the most significant terrestrial event in
human history. Half of the world’s population lives in urban places, This shift will continue for
the foreseeable future, As a result, the world's economic, social, cultural and political processes
are increasingly played out within the the Earth’s systems of towns and cities. This trend seems
irreversible due to the global shift to technology.
- 20% was urban 20 years ago but it is now 30%
Early ways this was achieved were:
➢ Advanced agriculture
➢ Global trading,
➢ Good hygiene and food sources,
➢ Vaccinations or better health care,
➢ Stacked housing
, Mikayla Steen 2024
Building an understanding of the changing nature of cities
How are cities projected to What are the negative What benefits will future What can be done to
change: connotations of urban cities offer (economic, ensure the growth of towns
population growth political, cultural etc) is sustainable (again, think
(economic, environmental, environmentally,
political etc) economically and socially)
- Larger population around -Poverty and homelessness -More money circulation -Relying on renewable
2-3 billion more (9.8 “urban pore” -Economic development energy,
billion) -House prices rise -Larger profits -green spaces like vertical
-More efficient use of -Informal sediments -Larger exchange networks or rooftop gardens
space for transport -More job opportunities -Employment -Reduced reliance on
-New types of Corruption or conflict opportunities private transport
governments -The inequality between -New technologies/ -Access
-Early major international innovations -
the rich and poor
businesses will operate -Larger cultural
increases.
outside of the state differences
-Altering the natural
-The developing world -Easy use of information
environment to make way
will become more urban
for more infrastructure.
China is building what’s
known as Ghost Cities.
-Pollution
-General environmental
degradation
Megacities - Urban centres with more than 10 million people, are 31 megacities.
World city - Going from a car-reliant town to a high rise where cars wouldn’t be needed
Cities are becoming described out with large networks utilising public transport like trains.
In the future, it is predicted that China and India 90% of urbanisation will occur there. But
instead of connecting urban areas, they are creating slums where basic human needs are not met.
- The percentage of those who live in slums was 25.4 to 24.2 per cent between 2014 and
2020
- In most countries, the difference between the 1% and the 99% is the most it has been in
many decades.
