Urbanization and Location

1
Chapter 18

• Urbanization and Location

2
Introduction

• In 1950, only slightly more than 50 residents in
  Western Europe lived in cities (Figure 18-1 A)
• Now 50 of world population reside in cities.
  (18-1 B)
• Cities grew by agglomeration, the spatial process
  of clustering by commercial enterprises for
  mutual advantage and benefit.
• Specialization - certain industries grew to
  dominate the manufacturing sector to such a
  degree that their products and the names of the
  cities became almost synonymous. Ex. Detroit,
  Silicon Valley, Pittsburgh Steelers.
• Hinterland- German word, the land behind the
  city.
• Figure 18-6 Urban population as a percentage of
  the Total population

3
Ranking Urban Centers

• At what point, a hamlet become a village, a
  village a town, a town a city?

Consider functions
Urban hierarchy
From Boston to D.C. called Bosnywash
Towns-e.g. banks, furniture stores library,
schools and with hinterland (smaller villages and
hamlets). Centrality of the town- economic
attraction from the surrounding villages
Megalopolises
Cities- commercial center (CBD), suburbs
City, larger hinterland and greater centrality
Towns, more specialized services,
Villages with specialization of services
Hamlet with service
4
Place and Location

• Shenzhen-grows from 20,000 to 3.1 million within
  30 yrs. Why? Geography - located next to Hong
  Kong, its called situation relative location,
  the first factor controlling the development of
  cities and towns
• Situation improves - 1) Paris 2) Chicago - air,
  railroad, and road center. Vast hinterland,
  natural resources
• Situation deteriorates Berlin

5
Urban Site

• Site - the actual physical qualities of the place
  a city occupies.
• It was site not situation led to the founding
  of Paris, Île de la Cité first settlement for
  its accessibility to water, security and
  defensibility. (figure 18-4), Expansion took
  place not too long, with no physical obstacles.
• Mexico City - was one of the most gracious and
  attractive cities in the Americas, now is short
  of water, has smog-choke air, vulnerable to
  earthquakes (with 1000 immigrants each day)
• Bangkok-ground surface subsidence due to the
  withdrawal of the groundwater and worse air
  pollution problems than Mexico City
• 1965, seceded from Malaysia, Singapores site and
  situation made it successful. (figure 18-5)

6
Urbanization in the 1990s -1

• Mexico, Cuba, France all in highest category.
• Former Soviet Union - only Tajikistan is in low
  percentage of urbanization (28)
• South America - cone Argentina, Chili and
  Uruguay and Brazil, Venezuela all rank high. Only
  three Guianas (Guyana, Suriname, and French
  Guiana) in low level.
• Subsaharan Africa-Mostly low level urbanization,
  Tropical Africa only a few countries 40. South
  Africa at 57 due to the mining-industry in
  certain urban areas.
• N Africa and Southwest Asia - variation in
  levels. But high urbanization is due to oil
  industry but not for Jordan which is old
  tradition. Low-leveled Afghanistan and
  high-level in oil-rich Libya.

7
Urbanization in 90s -2

• South Asia - low level, India at 26 and Pakistan
  28, and Bangladesh only 16
• Southeast Asia - Singapore the only 100 level
  urbanization country. Malaysia and Brunei 50.
  The rest are typical developing countries.
• Pacific Rim - Japan, S Korea and Taiwan are
  high-level.
• China 25

8
Megalopolitan Regions

• Megalopolitan regions in US Boston to D.C.,
  Chicago-Detroit-Pittsburgh, San Francisco-Los
  Angeles-San Diego and Montreal-Toronto-Windsor
• The Netherlands Randstad (ring-city) - an
  attempt to make Amsterdam-Rotterdam-The Hague a
  megalopolitan region is high on the national
  agenda. - with parks, spacious housing, good
  communications and public transportation and
  well-distributed social service

9
Megacities

• Many megacities in poorer countries, Mexico City,
  Shanghai, Calcutta, Mumbai, and Cairo.
• By 2025, 15 cities with 20 million population
• Rate of growing in poor cities
• Pull factor brings in many immigrants into the
  cities which live in urban housing of wretched
  quality.
• Rate of growth (megacities) high Africa ,
  South Asia and mainland East Asia and South and
  Middle America. Slow-N America, southern S
  America and Australia. Western Europe - barely
  grow.
• Shanghai - Pudong - special economic zone
  attracted 3 million, not too many live in
  squatter settlements like those of Calcutta

10
Growing Cities

• fast growing cities in Asia - Shanghai and
  Calcutta located at the mouths of rivers with
  colonial imprints - Chinese govt built special
  economic zone in Pudong
• Zoning is lack in poorer countries - Madras in
  India - squatter settlements between high-rise
  buildings.... such incongruities may disappear
  due to high rising land values and demands for
  zoning regulations..

11
City and Culture

• Cultures in big cities - French Quarter, China
  Town, Little Havana, Italian Village.., Various
  city corners become ethnic and cultural entities