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Summary AQA A Level Geography: Contemporary Urban Environments Detailed Notes
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Full, detailed, A* level notes about the Contemporary Urban Environments topic in the Geography A Level. Case studies included. Clear and concise notes to help you build knowledge on the topic and achieve higher grades. Send me a message if you have any questions about what is in the document!

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  • June 26, 2023
  • 43
  • 2022/2023
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Contemporary Urban Environments
Revision
Urbanisation ● Urban Change ● Urban Form ● Urban Issues ● Urban
Climate ● Urban Air Quality ● Urban Drainage ● Urban Waste ● Urban
Environmental Issues ● Mumbai ● London
Urbanisation
● In 1950 30% of the global population lived in urban areas, now over 55% do.
● The developed world has contributed little to this increase as it
experienced mass urbanisation in the 18th and 19th centuries around the
time of the industrial revolution. Although people are still moving into
places such as London and New York, similar numbers are moving out
● The developing world on the other hand is now experiencing accelerated
urbanisation with the majority population living in rural areas moving into
urban areas causing old cities to grow and even new ones to be born
anew. In Beijing, the urban population increased from 4.4 million in 1970
to 20.4 million in 2015.
● Although the rate of urbanisation is slowing, stagnating urban population
growth, by 2050, 68% of the world is expected to live in urban areas.
● Reasons for urban growth include natural increase (most cities have a
younger demographic who can have children) and rural-urban migration.

Processes of Urbanisation

Urbanisation ● Urbanisation is the growth in the proportion of
people living in urban areas which mainly
occurs due to rural-urban migration and natural
increase.
● People may migrate to urban areas for push
and pull factors such as access to better
healthcare, education and jobs. Cities often
host a lot of a country’s national economic
activity e.g. Sao Paulo in Brazil accounts for 10%
of the population by 25% of the national GDP
● As many migrants are young adults, they are
likely to have children which will contribute to
further population increase.
● In developing countries, urbanisation can lead
to shanty towns.
● Push factors may include famine, drought, poor
healthcare and isolation in rural areas, whereas
pull factors may include opportunities, jobs,
education, better healthcare and hope
● Advantages: the population is more likely to
gain skills and have access to better healthcare,
reducing mortality, the city develops over time
as there are more workers for infrastructure
projects

, ● Disadvantages: Increase in unplanned housing
(shanty towns) poses a greater risk to the
population in natural disasters, water pollution
increases, poor are likely to be exploited, large
social divide in cities
● Micklegate in York is an example of a place that
has become urbanised shown by the fact that
before 1850, the ward was very much still rural,
whereas nowadays it is counted as a part of the
inner city.
● Mumbai is also experiencing extreme
urbanisation

Suburbanisation ● Suburbanisation is the movement of people
from city centres to the outskirts of a city
● City centres can become overcrowded due to
urbanisation so wealthier citizens may desire
more space and a better quality of life,
particularly if starting a family, and look to the
outskirts of a city from where they can travel
into the CBD to access their workplaces due to
improved transport facilities
● This can lead to economic and ethnic
segregation as wealthier middle-class citizens
will move to the outskirts whereas poorer and
often foreign migrant workers will be left
behind in the centre.
● An increase in urbanisation can increase the
demand for suburban areas so these areas
expand.
● A major disadvantage of suburbanisation is
that it can lead to inner-city areas becoming
deprived and derelict as house prices in the
suburbs increase. As a way to prevent this
urban sprawl, strategies such as a ‘green belt’
can be put in place. This is an area around a city
where building is restricted to preserve the
rural areas. For example, there is a ring
surrounding London. However, developers can
work to remove green belt status so it may not
always stay permanent.
● Stoke Gifford in South Gloucestershire
experienced suburbanisation as a consequence
of nearby Bristol's urban sprawl. The population
grew by 40% from 2001-2011 and underwent
rapid urbanisation in the 20th century from a
village to a suburban area.
● As a consequence of York’s urban sprawl,
Dringhouses and Woodthorpe underwent
suburbanisation in the 20th century featuring
semi-detached, detached and bungalow

, properties located by the A64 and an
edge-of-town supermarket (Tesco).

Counter-urbanisation ● Counter-urbanisation is the movement of
people out of the city into surrounding villages
and rural areas
● This can be due to high property prices and
overcrowding in the centre as well as a simple
preference for a quieter rural atmosphere and
better quality of life which can be facilitated
through improvements in transport allowing
commuting to workplaces or improvements in
communications allowing remote working.
● This process can lead to new housing estates in
rural areas, driving up prices, which may mean
local people can no longer afford to live there. It
can also change the age structure as more
wealthy old people may move there.
● Push factors to leave the city can include
pollution, large industrial areas which are
unsightly, economic decline and overcrowding
whereas pull factors can include clean air, more
space, countryside, and better value housing.
● Advantages: forces inner-city to regenerate to
encourage the population to return or else it
will face collapse, help reduce overcrowding
and housing shortages with commuter towns,
and can potentially benefit the environment
with less industry and cars.
● Disadvantages: Higher rural house prices may
push away local people, more traffic and
congestion, less public transport use in villages,
and conflict between the existing population
and new residents.
● York experienced a short period of
counter-urbanisation where between 1961-1981,
the population fell by almost 10,000 whilst
surrounding rural areas increased in size such
as Dunnington going from just under 1,000
people to just under 3,000 between 1961-1991
and Copmanthorpe similarly increasing from
1,215 to 4,125 from 1971-1991
● St Ives is another example of a city undergoing
counter-urbanisation

Urban Resurgence ● Urban resurgence is the movement of people
back into city centres
● Common in post-industrial countries like the
UK and USA, people may move back to the city
centre due to a lack of jobs in rural or suburban
areas and due to attractive new developments

, like high-quality housing
● New shops and services may open due to a
resurgence of population, boosting the local
economy and creating jobs, but this can drive
out the original citizens who can no longer
afford the increasing house prices
● This often occurs when schemes are put in
place to improve the quality of life in the city
area by encouraging economic growth and
regeneration.
● City centres house 72% of highly skilled jobs
and are 21% more productive than non-urban
areas which could entice residents back
● Urban resurgence can cause socioeconomic
inequalities as gentrification and excess wealth
in newly redeveloped areas can push away
original populations as they struggle to keep up
with higher prices for housing and living


Megacities

A megacity is an urban area with over 10 million people living there e.g. Istanbul,
Cairo, Los Angeles.
In 1950, there were only two- Tokyo and New York- but according to
Demographia, in 2020 there were 35 and by 2030, this is expected to rise to 43.
Over ⅔ of megacities are in developing countries and Asia accounts for over half
of the world’s megacities e.g. Jakarta, Beijing

Megacities develop because of rural-urban migration as well as natural increase.
Migrants tend to move to large cities that are experiencing rapid economic
growth to widen their opportunities for success and so the populations here
increase at an accelerated rate. However, this can mean that there become stark
contrasts among the populations with those in extreme poverty living side by
side with the rich.
Megacities tend to dominate national and regional economies of their countries
because companies choose to place their headquarters where there is a large
supply of highly skilled workers which allows for rapid economic growth as well
as good transport links such as proximity to an international airport.

World Cities

A world city is a city that has political and financial influence over the whole
world e.g. London, Sydney. World cities like London and New York have emerged
as leaders in banking and finance so many banking companies such as HSBC,
Lloyds and RBS have headquarters here. Most are in the developed world, but
some like Dubai and Rio de Janeiro, are in emerging economies.

In 1950, there were only four world cities: London, Paris, Tokyo and New York.
More recently due to the discovery of certain oil-rich nations, cities like Lagos in

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