Effects of Urbanization

It is estimated that over 50% of the world’s population now lives in urban areas and that this will rise to 70% by 2050. Such a change will

Environmental pollution is defined as the unfavorable alteration of our surroundings. The main reason for pollution is the result of the everyday lifestyle of the people on earth, this includes explosion, rapid industrialization, deforestation, and many other examples. These changes to the environment can affect the physical, chemical, and the biological characteristics of the earth as well as all living things. When there is industrialization there is urbanization not to far behind. Unhealthy environments have occurred due to the migration of the rural populations into the cities. This has led to overcrowding as well as the establishment of the slums within the city. This has caused the towns surrounding the cities to become full of smoke, fumes, and dirt which lead to foul smells throughout the

Humans have evolved immensely throughout centuries and the trend toward urbanization is a worldwide phenomenon that impacts the environment, economy and various aspects of human life. In America before the 18th century, manufacturing was done by hand using homemade tools and basic machinery, the industrialization of America led to an increase of immigration and an influx of people drawn to cities where new economic opportunities were available. “Urbanization is the process by which town and cities are formed and become larger as more people begin living and working in central areas”. It occurs casually from individual and corporate efforts to reduce expense in commuting and transportation. The level and growth of urbanization differs by region

Urbanization has been constant over the last few hundred years. It continues even today and will continue with the constant increase in world population. Urbanization affects all levels of society and an accommodating urban environment is a necessity. But as humans we haven’t really been good at it. The process of urbanization can vary by country. Within the urban communities the political economy determines the existence of social classes.

According to the data from United Nations urbanization prospects 2014, in the early 20th century the urbanized population only accounted 15 percent of the world’s total population. Half century later the pace of urbanization rate accelerated and the figure reached 30 percent in 1950. After nearly 60 years of development, in year 2008 it was the first time that urban population outstripped rural population. Now in 2014 there has been 54 percent of world’s population become urban dwellers. However due to historical geographical and economic reasons, the level of urbanization varies significantly across regions. Highly urbanized regions include Northern America and Caribbean and Latin America with over 80 percent of their total population urbanized.

“In 1800 only 3% of people lived in a city of 1 million or more; by the year 2000, it was 47%. In 1950 there were only 83 cities worldwide with populations over 1 million; by 2007 there were 468. In April 2008, the world passed the 50% urbanization mark. Cities have evolved into a more complex space inter-linked by a number of systems and planners generally have failed to read the ‘Urban Progression’ and thus cities have failed significantly in terms of the ‘Quality of Life’ of the urbanites.”

In the eighteenth and nineteenth century urban populations grew rapidly through migration from rural areas to find new jobs in the cities created by the industrial revolution, which led to 6,5 million inhabitants in London. In the twentieth century cities kept growing and in the 1950’s around thirty percent of world’s population was urban. The first mega city in the world emerged, as New York City broke the boundary of ten million inhabitants around 1930 (Wendell Cox Consultancy, 2005). In 1990 there were ten megacities that were home to 153 million people which is less than seven percent of the global urban population. In 2014 the amount of megacities has almost tripled to 28 with a population of 453 million people, which account for twelve percent of the global urban population. The total urban population in 2014 was 54 percent (UN, 2014). These numbers can be related to the second important event,

The level and growth of urbanization differ considerably by region. Among different countries, Latin American countries have the highest portion of the people that live in the country living in urban areas. But the south and the east of Asia are the most likely to have the most urbanized area over the next 30 years. Almost all of future world population growth will be in towns and cities. Urbanization is a powerful force of human nature because as they move, the climate shifts with them. The more humans in one area make more pollution in that one area because of all the Homo sapiens living there. “In 1800 only about 2 percent of the world's population lived in urban areas. Until a century ago, urban areas were some of the unhealthiest places for people to live. The increased density of populations in urban areas led to the rapid spread of infectious diseases. Consequently, death rates in urban areas historically were higher than in rural areas. The only way urban areas maintained their existence until recently was by the continual in-migration of rural people.”(prb.org,

The city is a vital, breathing, and often vibrant life force to its metropolitan area, region, state, and country. Cities, within the United States function typically as the jobs, cultural, and educational centers of their region. They tend to be more diverse than their surrounding communities, and they often face sets of problems that the suburbs and rural areas do not deal with. Some of the main issues that will face and shape cities over the next ten years include gentrification, environmental sustainability, and immigration. The way in which each of these issues is addressed will greatly impact the future of the American city.

All over the globe today, urban areas are vulnerable to the growing impact of gentrification. Reason being is because, as the cost of living rises in many urban areas unlike never before, then those urban areas are needed to be diversified. It can also be looked at as a housing, economic, and health issue that has a great effect on an area’s history, culture and can ultimately reduce social capital. The only way for gentrification to emerge is if it is under the impact of various factors. Factors include social, economic, and the process of globalization, these all bring forth consistent changes in urban development. If an urban area is noticeably changed because of gentrification methods then policy makers are forced to either speed up and slow down the process.

Urbanisation is the process which has led to an increasing proportion of a country's population living within urban areas. It is impossible to say exactly when the process began, but in Britain it was around the time of the industrial revolution. Many people moved from rural to urban areas in search of regular employment. The MEDC's around the world are all urbanised now, with annual growth rates of urbanisation still increasing, but sustainably. LEDC's however are still rapidly urbanising. In this essay I am going to look at all the factors that cause urbanisation and evaluate why it is occurring.

The National Geographic Education define an urban environment as, ‘the region surrounding a city. Urban areas are very developed, meaning there is a density of human structures such as houses, commercial buildings, roads, bridges, and railways.(1)’ The International Institute for Sustainable Development define sustainable development as ‘development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. (2)’ In 2014, approximately 54%(3) of the total global population live in urban environments. The global urban population has grown significantly from 34% in 1960(3)

More than 50% of the world population lives in cities and this percentage is expected to continue to grow (Reese). People continue to migrate to more populated areas in search of job opportunities, better health care, education, and many more factors. Some people feel that urbanization is positive for society. For one, it is positive for our economy, as it is easier for people to earn and spend money. It also allows people to have better living conditions. However, the growing environmental issues outweigh these advantages drastically. Urbanization is causing more pollution, climate change, climate loss, and loss of necessary resources such as food and water. While urbanization is an unavoidable element of population growth, there are steps we can take as a society to reduce the risks and better the environment.

Urbanization is defined as rapid population growth in urban areas. There are four major causes for urbanisation including: rapid economic growth, population increase, economies of scale and multiplier effect. The environment around us is heavily affected by urbanisation, bringing advantages and disadvantages along with it. Almost 45 per cent of the world's population which is two and a half billion people are living in urban areas.

The term ‘megacity’ refers to a densely populated, metropolitan area in which the total population exceeds ten million people. Megacities tend to be thriving centers for cultural and economic progress with a high rate of economic development. Of the 24 cities worldwide that are currently classed as megacities, many of them are the capital city of a country, such as Paris, London, Tokyo, Beijing, and Seoul, (Citypopulation.de, 2014). In recent years, with the rapid development of the economy, many large cities around the world have been reclassified as megacities, particularly in developing countries. As megacities develop, a lot of challenges and problems develop too, for example: high population, urban transport problems and environmental problems. This essay will describe the main challenges and possible solution.