Urbanization & Human Behavior? Which is which? Urban ecosystem[life] shapes/reshapes human behavior? Human behavior determines/shapes urban ecosystem[life]?

Urbanization & Human Behavior? How does urban ecosystem/life influence human behavior?

Urbanization & Human Behavior? Thickly Populated Urban Ecosystem/Life

Urban areas grow in 2 ways: Urban Growth Urban areas grow in 2 ways: Natural increase of its population (births) Immigration (mostly from rural areas – the biggest cause of urban growth) Proportion of the global population living in urban areas: 2% (pre-industrial period) 46% (2001) (~160,000 people added to world’s urban areas each day) UN projections: by 2050, ~63% of world’s people will be living in urban areas, with 90% of this urban growth in developing countries Number of large cities (>1 million people): increasing rapidly throughout the 20th century

2001: more than 400 cities have >1 million people Megacities 1900: 19 cities had >1 million people (95% of the population then were rural) 2001: more than 400 cities have >1 million people Increasingly, there are more megacities (cities with populations >10 million people) 1985: 8 megacities 2001: 16 (13 of them in developing countries) As they grow and sprawl outward, separate urban areas may merge to form a megalopolis (= a very large city, or a region made up of several large cities and their surrounding areas in sufficient closeness to be considered a single urban complex)

World’s Largest Cities Population in Millions United Nations Population Division 2001

Urbanization & Human Behavior? Thickly Populated Urban Ecosystem/Life Built environment

Urbanization & Human Behavior? Thickly Populated Urban Ecosystem/Life Built environment Non-self-sustaining

Urban areas are not self sustaining! Survive only by importing food, water, energy, minerals, and other resources from somewhere else Produce vast quantities of wastes Affect the health of their inhabitants but also the environmental health of rural areas and the health of the planet Often, agriculture and cities develop in similar areas  expanding urban areas = using up agricultural land

U.S. city of 1 million people Daily Inputs Daily Outputs U.S. city of 1 million people Water 625,000 tonnes Sewage 500,000 tonnes Air pollutants 950 tonnes Fuel 9,500 tonnes Rubbish 9,500 tonnes Food 2,000 tonnes

Most cities: have few trees and other plants Most cities: produce little of their own food Many cities: have water supply and flooding problems Many coastal areas: popular for urban development  Many natural coastal habitats have been cleared, drained, and filled in for urban development

Urbanization & Human Behavior? Thickly Populated Urban Ecosystem/Life Built environment Non-self-sustaining Microclimate

Urban Microclimate Materials used in urban construction: conduct more heat than vegetated areas Buildings and vehicles: release significant amounts of heat energy from burning of fossil fuels Urbanization can therefore its own microclimate Temperature of a city: several degrees warmer than surrounding rural areas Cities are urban heat islands

Urban Heat Island Profile This means cities tend to be warmer, rainier, foggier, and cloudier.

Noise levels in decibels (dbA) Urban Pollution Urban residents suffer higher pollution levels than surrounding rural areas. Sheer numbers of people in cities mean urban areas are major contributors to air pollution and enhanced greenhouse effect. Most urban residents suffer from excessive noise. Noise levels in decibels (dbA) 85 150 Normal breathing Quiet rural area Vacuum cleaner Permanent damage begins after 8-hrs Rock concert Military rifle

Urbanization & Human Behavior? Thickly Populated Deviant behaviors, Competition, urbanism, resilience Urbanization, elitism, globalization Unemployment, blasé’ attitude, Exploitation, resistance Urban Ecosystem/Life Built environment Non-self-sustaining Heat islands, health and sanitation, energy consumption, traffic Congestion, poverty, hunger, slums, pollution, flood, malnutrition Microclimate

Urbanization & Human Behavior? Thickly Populated Deviant behaviors, Competition, urbanism, resilience Urbanization, elitism, globalization Unemployment, blasé’ attitude, Exploitation, resistance Urban Ecosystem/Life Built environment Non-self-sustaining Heat islands, health and sanitation, energy consumption, traffic Congestion, poverty, hunger, slums, pollution, flood, malnutrition Microclimate

Urbanization & Human Behavior? How does human behavior shape urban ecosystem/life?

Urbanization & Human Behavior? Competition Urban Human Behavior Deviancy Blasé attitude Cooperation

Urbanization & Human Behavior? Competition Culture of corruption, greed, Exploitation, consumerism, Sexism, ageism, classism, Organized crime (smuggling, gambling, prostitution, kidnapping) Gated environment, culture of insecurity, culture of resistance, discrimination, Fatalism, ghettoism/slumization Urban Human Behavior Deviancy Blasé attitude Protectionism, elitism, solidarity/protest movements, underground economy Communalism, Fraternism, Familism, ecumenism, nepotism Cooperation

Urbanization & Human Behavior? Way of life Sociology Psychology Economics Geography Anthropology History Social Behavior Spatial Behavior Cultural Behavior Urban Ecology Political Economy Anthro of Poverty/Cities Cultural Evolution Cultural geography Social Psychology Social Psychology Critical Historiography Postmodernism Urbanization Globalization

Urbanization & Human Behavior? Which is which? Urban ecosystem[life] shapes/reshapes human behavior? Human behavior determines/shapes urban ecosystem[life]?