Economic Development and Change Related to Urbanisation Utilising a range of resources, investigate the above statement and construct own opinion.

Discussion Focus ‘Rates of urbanisation increase as levels of development increase’. To what extent is this statement true? Discuss the view that urbanisation in both the developed and the developing world is unsustainable.

Resources Bank – Read the following articles Resources Bank – Read the following articles. Highlight any keys points related to the discussion focus The Guardian “Cities in Numbers” Zurich “The risks of rapid urbanisation in developing countries” United Nations “A world of cities” ‘Rates of urbanisation increase as levels of development increase’. To what extent is this statement true?

A2 Geography Essay writing focus – Section C Strong evidence of thorough, detailed and accurate knowledge Strong evidence of critical understanding of concepts Examples are well developed Evidence of maturity in understanding role of values, attitudes and decision making processes Explanations, arguments and assessments are direct, focused, logical, perspective, purposeful and show balance and flair

How to structure an argument Point Evidence Explanation Link to synoptic Make an initial point Bring in evidence from your wider reading Explain the point/evidence Link to others areas from the specification

I do not fully agree with the above statement I do not fully agree with the above statement. As the world develops, we do become more urbanised. 10% lived in cities in 1900 but 50% lived in cities by 2007. Sao Paulo is a good example of where urbanisation has increased with development. As industry has took a hold in the city centre, thousands flocked to the city in search of prosperity, causing former greenfield sites in the suburbs to become inhabited with favelas. It is the likelihood that a country becomes most urbanised as it switches to a service-based economy.  However, if you look at a country that is further up the development continuum, such as the United Kingdom, you can see that people also move away from urbanisation. Counter urbanisation is a common occurrence in MEDCS. As a country develops there are technological advances which allows people to work from home, or the infrastructure has improved enough for them to be able to commute. People therefore are able to move out of cities in to more rural areas. Increased development normally means an increased GDP, which allows people the resources to make this change. Development also increases the push factors from the city, such as pollution levels and congestion. Therefore, it is not strictly true that rates of urbanisation increase.