URBANISATION IS DEFINED AS THE PROCESS BY WHICH AN INCREASING PROPORTION OF THE TOTAL POPULATION LIVES IN TOWNS AND CITIES. THE DEMOGRAPHIC DEFINITION OF A CITY THIS DEFINITION WAS FIRST CODIFIED BY SOCIOLOGIST LOUIS WIRTH IN HIS INFLUENTIAL 1938 PAPER, “URBANISM AS A WAY OF LIFE” (WIRTH 1938). CITIES, ACCORDING TO WIRTH, ARE DEFINED BY FOUR CHARACTERISTICS: 1. PERMANENCE 2. LARGE POPULATION SIZE 3. HIGH POPULATION DENSITY 4. SOCIAL HETEROGENEITY SOURCE: URBAN.HTML

THE FUNCTIONAL DEFINITION OF URBAN OR CITY RETAIL MARKET CENTERS. THE LARGER THE HINTERLAND (AND THE MORE GOODS AND SERVICES PROVIDED), THE MORE IMPORTANT THE CENTER. POLITICS AND RELIGION (FOX 1977). FROM THIS PERSPECTIVE, THE CLASSIC MAYA JUNGLE CITIES CAN BE CONSIDERED URBAN BECAUSE THEIR KINGS RULED CITY-STATES LARGER THAN THE INDIVIDUAL SETTLEMENT, AND THEIR TEMPLES WERE THE FOCUS OF WORSHIP FOR PEASANTS AS WELL AS URBAN DWELLERS. FROM THE DEMOGRAPHIC PERSPECTIVE, ON THE OTHER HAND, THE MAYA CENTERS WERE NOT BIG ENOUGH TO BE CALLED CITIES. TO DECIDE WHETHER A PLACE IS URBAN; ONE HAS TO LOOK AT THE ENTIRE REGIONAL CONTEXT, INCLUDING THE HINTERLAND AND OTHER NEARBY SETTLEMENTS. IF THE SETTLEMENT IN QUESTION WAS THE SETTING FOR PEOPLE AND INSTITUTIONS THAT IMPACTED A LARGER REALM, IT CAN BE CONSIDERED AN URBAN SETTLEMENT. SOURCE: URBAN.HTML

EARLY CITIES IT WAS ORIGINALLY BELIEVED, THE FIRST CITIES WERE BUILT IN MESOPOTAMIA, MODERN DAY IRAQ, AT AROUND 5000 BC. CITIES SUCH AS BABYLON WERE AMONG THE LARGEST PERMANENT SETTLEMENTS IN THE ANCIENT WORLD. HOWEVER, DISCOVERIES IN 2010, SUGGEST THAT THE FIRST CITIES MAY HAVE BEEN IN SYRIA, AND WERE BUILT AROUND 6000BC. EVEN IF THIS CANNOT BE VERIFIED…. THE CITY OF DAMASCUS, HAS SURVIVED TO BECOME THE LONGEST-INHABITED CITY IN THE WORLD AND THE CAPITOL OF SYRIA. OLDER GROUPS OF BUILDINGS HAVE BEEN FOUND IN EUROPE, EGYPT AND JAPAN, BUT THEY ARE NOT LARGE AS THOSE IN THE MIDDLE EAST.

CITIES OVER 5 MILLION

Cities with 10 million or more people 2015

URBAN GROWTH IS SPEEDING UP The world is becoming increasingly urbanised, since the 1950’s the level and growth is unprecedented. In 1950 the urban population increased from 73.4 million to 1.5 billion in 1975 (an increase from 30% to 38%) of the proportion of people living in urban areas. By 2000, 2.9 million (47%) is expected to increase to 4.9 billion (60%) in the average annual growth was estimated to be 2.7% between 1950 and 2000; however it is expected to decline to 1.8% between 2000 and 2030 Time required to reach 2 million population: Rome, Italy 2000 years Vienna, Austria400 years Vancouver, B.C.115 years Shenzhen, China 20 years

URBAN GROWTH IS SPEEDING UP- SNOWBALL Due to the PROCESS of Rural- Urban migration. PUSH FACTORS: A Push factor is something that can force or encourage people to move away from an area. Push factors can include famine (as in Ethiopia in the 1980s), drought, flooding (as in Bangladesh, a lack of employment opportunities, population growth and over population, and civil war (as in Darfur at the moment). A Pull factor is one in which encourages people to move to an area. Pull factors include the chance of a better job, better access to education and services, a higher standard of living.

INTERESTING ASPECTS OF URBANISATION Spatial patterns Temporal patterns Link/interaction between cities and hinterland/countries (political influence on cities) Christchurch Constant change taking place eg Auckland gentrification Globalisation and the blurring of frontiers between rural and urban, where information technology is the most important commodity dividing cities into “information rich” and “information poor”

KEY CHALLENGES FOR CITIES: CHALLENGES (1) IMPROVING PUBLIC TRANSPORT (2) IMPROVING POLICING & REDUCING CRIME (3) AFFORDABLE & ADEQUATE HOUSING (4) URBAN OPEN SPACE & RECREATIONAL AREAS (5) POWER USE IN CITIES (6) RISING SEA LEVELS

SOCIAL OVERCROWDING WHICH LEADS TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF SLUMS AND GHETTOES. LACK OF BASIC SERVICES LIKE SCHOOLS, HEALTH CENTRES,PARKS CRIME AND VIOLENCE/SPREAD OF DISEASES/SOCIAL TENSION POLITICAL LACK OF PLANNING ECONOMIC URBAN UNEMPLOYMENT- MANY PERSONS WHO MOVE INTO THE CITY FACE UNEMPLOYMENT DUE TO LACK OF JOB OPPORTUNITIES. TRAFFIC CONGESTION NATURAL POLLUTION DUE TO POOR SEWAGE DISPOSAL SYSTEMS, TRAFFIC, LACKOF RUBBISH COLLECTION, CLEAN WATER SUPPLY URBAN SPRAWL- AS TOWNS GET BIGGER PEOPLE MOVE INTO AGRICULTURAL LANDS. TECHNOLOGICAL LACK OF COMMUNICATION NETWORK, ELECTRICITY SUPPLY ETC

CITIES AND CO 2 EMISSIONS 12 Cities are responsible for approximately 71% of the world’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. -International Energy Agency, 2009

SPATIAL PATTERNS

TEMPORAL PATTERNS

MASS URBANIZATION: CHINA IN 2025 Sources: McKinsey Global Institute, China National Bureau of Statistics, Foreign Policy.

BUILDING CITIES: CHINA Sources: McKinsey Global Institute, China National Bureau of Statistics, Foreign Policy.

Peoples IDEAS to investigate: Malthus, Kevin Mcleod You tube: Dakar

SUSTAINABILITY INTO THE FUTURE?