Global Context and Regional Perspectives on Urbanization: The Americas

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Global Context and Regional Perspectives on
Urbanization The Americas
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Outline

• Global urban facts and trends
• Some urbanization models
• North American urbanization
• Latin American urbanization

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Source H.J. de Blij and Peter O. Muller. 1994.
Geography Realms, Regions, and Concepts (New
York John Wiley Sons). Figure 1-11.
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Urbanization Cycle Model

• Primate city
• Earlyconcentration and dominance
• Intermediatesuburbanization/nodes
• Advancedmulti-centered/megalopolis
• Intermediate cities
• Earlylimited and uneven growth
• Advancedsuburbanization and deconcentration
• Small city
• Saturation (rural population small)
• Further deconcentration

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Stages of Urban Development Model

• Urbanization
• Suburbanization
• Rising population and income
• Automobile
• Administrative separation
• Public policy/subsidies
• Disurbanization/Counterurbanization
• Urban decline
• Reurbanization?
• Exurbanization
• Extended suburbssemi-rural

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North American Cities

• Highly urbanized
• U.S. urban population in 1990 248.7 million
  people (82)
• Canada urban population in 1990 27.3 million
  people (77)
• Key demographic changes
• Baby boom (1948-1963)
• Decline in household size
• Internal migration high
• Immigration significant factor

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Latin American Urbanization

• Highly urbanizednow 72 of population live in
  urban areas
• In 1990
• 300 million urban inhabitants
• 36 million cities
• 2 of the worlds 5 largest
• Sao Paulo
• Mexico City
• Most major centers originally founded by Spanish
  and Portuguese

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Key Points

• U.S./Europe most urbanized, but most rapid
  urbanization in Africa and Asia
• Asia has highest density of human settlements
• Mega-cities increasingly developing in Third
  World, but majority of urban people still living
  in cities of less than 1 million people
• Latin Americahighly urbanized, massive cities,
  strong colonial influence, high levels of
  inequality