Urbanization

Summary

Urbanization is the increasing share of a population living in urban places together with the physical and functional expansion of cities.

Core idea

Understand the system

Urbanization is the increasing share of a population living in urban places together with the physical and functional expansion of cities.

Why and how it happens

Causes and context

Urbanization is the increasing share of a population living in urban places together with the physical and functional expansion of cities. The governing relationship is: Industrialization, services, rural-urban migration and natural increase expand urban populations, while land conversion creates outward growth.

How it works

Industrialization, services, rural-urban migration and natural increase expand urban populations, while land conversion creates outward growth.

Key facts

• Urbanization concerns the proportion urban; urban growth concerns the increase in urban population.
• Primate-city dominance occurs when one city greatly exceeds the next in size and influence.
• Urban sprawl is low-density outward expansion into surrounding land.

Important terms

• urbanization
• urban sprawl
• primate city
• suburbanization
• megacity

Examples and case studies

• Dhaka illustrates rapid metropolitan expansion, congestion and pressure on services.

Causes and components

• Key components: urbanization, urban sprawl, primate city.
• Industrialization, services, rural-urban migration and natural increase expand urban populations, while land conversion creates outward growth.

Effects and significance

• Primate-city dominance occurs when one city greatly exceeds the next in size and influence.
• Urban sprawl is low-density outward expansion into surrounding land.
• Application: Dhaka illustrates rapid metropolitan expansion, congestion and pressure on services.

Geography connection

Dhaka illustrates rapid metropolitan expansion, congestion and pressure on services. This illustrates how urbanization varies by location, scale or environmental context.

Bangladesh connection

Dhaka's primacy, garment-linked employment and peri-urban land conversion are key Bangladesh urbanization examples.

BCS preliminary facts

• Urbanization concerns the proportion urban; urban growth concerns the increase in urban population.
• Primate-city dominance occurs when one city greatly exceeds the next in size and influence.
• Urban sprawl is low-density outward expansion into surrounding land.

BCS written analysis

Build an analytical answer

• Urbanization is the increasing share of a population living in urban places together with the physical and functional expansion of cities.
• Industrialization, services, rural-urban migration and natural increase expand urban populations, while land conversion creates outward growth. Use dhaka illustrates rapid metropolitan expansion, congestion and pressure on services. as a named application in a comparative answer.

Common misconceptions

• A city growing in population is not automatically becoming a larger share of the national population.
• Urbanization is not synonymous with industrialization, though they often interact.

Quick revision

• Urbanization
• Urbanization concerns the proportion urban; urban growth concerns the increase in urban population.
• Primate-city dominance occurs when one city greatly exceeds the next in size and influence.
• urbanization / urban sprawl
• Definition → process → spatial example