1. World Cities

2. What is a city?
This is always a tricky definition and not very straight forward
Is it based on population?
Is it based on what is in the city?
Does it have to have a cathedral? (a really common misconception!)

3. Different types of City
Super city – population over 5 million
Megacity – population over 10 million
World city – are cities of power based on trade, political strength, innovation and communications
Do you have to be a megacity to be a world city?
New York and Tokyo are both megacities and world cities. But what about London? It is a super city (not mega) but many people consider it to be the world’s most important city because of its connections through commerce, trade, service provision and travel flows just to name a few factors

4. World cities are connected to other places all over the world
World cities are connected to other places all over the world. However the places that they are connected to are not random, but are strategically located either for travel reasons, or for economic and political reasons. Places that are not connected to world cities (or even secondary cities) could be left out of the globalised world in a number of different ways

5. What can maps like this tell us about different cities around the world and their connections?

6. How are cities growing There are 2 main processes:
The first is internal growth (natural increase). This happens because city dwellers (particularly in developing countries) have high birth rates
The second is those who move to the cities from the countryside. These tend to be young, fertile people who cause this high birth rate within cities

7. Urban Growth
The poorest parts of the world have become the fastest growing, with migration dominating this growth
In some countries, this growth can be as much as 6 – 8% with much of this growth in slums
By 2020 the amount of people living in slums around the world will reach between 1.3 – 1.4 billion

8. Rural to Urban Migration
Pull factors
Jobs
Health care
Education
Safety
Housing
Bright lights
Push factors
Poverty
Conflict
Natural disasters
Crop failure
Land subdivision
Town
Rural areas
Small towns

9. Why do rural dwellers migrate?
Most people who migrate to urban slums are not moving blindly (unless its through war or a natural disaster)
People are well aware of the problems living of living in the city as they will have likely made arrangements for accommodation and jobs with family or friends
Despite the living conditions, they know that in the long run their prospects are better than in the rural area

10. Problems created by urban – rural migration
Strain on services e.g. education, transport health care
Water supply
Food
Job supply
Housing provision
Next lesson we are going to look at what is being done to solve this!

11. Urban Processes
Many developing cities are continuing to grow though a number of processes:
Urban sprawl: Urban areas growing outwards in an uncontrollable way. In the developing world this results in slums
Suburbanisation: The wealthy choosing to live on the city edge to escape poverty, crime, congestion and pollution in the city centre. A new trend is the gated community

12. In the developed world
Counter urbanisation: Movement of people out of the cities and into rural areas
Re-urbanisation: This is the regeneration of urban areas that have declined over previous year

13. Mumbai: An example of a rapidly urbanising megacity
Commercial capital of India
Home of Bollywood
Seen as the technological hub of India
Some rents here are more expensive than in London and New York

14. A city of contrasts