Population Patterns Either a species learns to control its own population, or something like disease, famine, war, will take care of the issue. ~Chuck Palahniuk

Rural  Sparsely populated  People are often separated by miles.  Countryside, farms

Suburban  Densely populated.  Areas surrounding a city made up mostly of homes & small businesses.

Urban  Very densely populated.  The majority of the world’s population lives in cities.  These areas are growing rapidly.

Urbanization  The growth of cities as more people move to urban areas.  >½ of the world’s population lives in cities.  Cities have their own set of problems.

Climate Change  More concrete & pavement in cities.  Makes them warmer & rainier.  Unable to absorb water, cities produce more runoff & pollution.

Housing  More people require additional housing.  Cities often unable to keep up with demand.  100 million people worldwide are homeless.  Up to a billion may be living in urban slums.

Health  High population density makes transmission of diseases easier.  Especially true in neighborhoods with no garbage removal & poor sanitation.

Pollution  More people burning fuel in a smaller space.  Pollution from cars, cooking, heating, & industry is concentrated.

Safety & Crime  Competition for resources leads to conflict.  Changes in lifestyle, & extreme poverty can lead to greater crime rates.