Evans Oppong Dr. Nagle ENG 111 30 August 2017 Effects of Urbanization on the Environment Recent data has shown that the world’s total population is doubling; however, the world's urban population is tripling. In the early 1800s, only 2 percent of the world’s population lived in urban areas (Urbanization; an environmental force to reckon with). This is a sharp contrast to what we have today. The promise of ample job opportunities, higher wages, and a better standard of living have been the main luring factors for attracting people into cities. Today about 50 percent of the world’s population lives in urban areas. It is estimated that by 2050 about 60-70 percent of the world’s population will be living in urban areas (Urbanization; an environmental force to reckon with). This growth trend of the urban populace is troubling since it has tremendous bad effects on our environment which in turn has bad effects on our health and well-being. Transformation of some parts of the land surface for urban utilizations is a standout amongst the most irreversible human effects on the worldwide biosphere. It accelerates the loss of exceptionally productive farmlands, increases energy demands, affects climate change, and pollutes the land, air and water bodies. These effects of swift urban expansion go far beyond the urban areas to the surrounding remote areas. With the rapid urban expansion, comes the demand for more housing. This has resulted in the conversion of a lot of lands
When we speak of the term urbanization – the outward expansion of human population from the city-centre, many feel the sense of triumph about the current living conditions, and are enlightened to do great works on the planet. Of course, it is not wrong if one feels this sense of triumph at first, but the ambiguity comes when the environmental aspect is placed in the talk. In this capitalistic world where money and status are worshiped, many negative effects associated with urbanization are being forgotten or dismissed.
Urbanization is a concept that is deeply rooted in the increase in a population within a region in response to the availability of unique opportunities. The opportunities may include the availability of employment chances in factories, investments opportunities in the urban areas, and the presence of sufficient housing and social infrastructure. It is apparent that urbanization began centuries ago in different regions of the world. However, the development of suburban areas has also been an interesting phenomenon over the centuries. Initially, people strived to live in the luxurious houses in major towns and cities. Nevertheless, there was a gradual shift in the desire to live in the cities when various negative impacts of overpopulation
With the advent of globalization and industrialization, urban migration and expansion of cities have become a global trend. South American nations are amongst being most rapid urbanized countries. As more people migrate to urban areas in search of better work opportunities, the cities here are growing in size and number (Ferguson & Navarrete, 2003). This problem is native to not just Latin American countries but is a major concern for most of the developing world. As estimated by the UN (United Nations, 2016), 3 billion people or about 40% of the world population would be living in substandard housing as a result of urban expansions and population growth. This is perceived to be a direct impact of rapid urbanization and excessive strain on
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
As urban development progressively changes people’s living behaviors, gentrification has created new urban movements for everyone to follow. It refers to the special migration in population who is seeking either a better living space and/or a better employment environment through an intra-city moving. As many studies have discovered, the future global population growth will only take place in the urban area. It is projected to be a 70% of the 9 billion future populations to live in cities in 2050. (Maarten Hajer 61) As the observable trend along with the major bus routes in San Francisco and Oakland, it makes people believe that gentrification will become an unpreventable force to
Recently, urbanization has become the newest form of progress. However, it seems that urbanization has created some unforeseen problems. Bocquier suggests “economic uncertainties that prevail in most urban settings lead to a deterioration of living conditions…this deterioration particularly affects the urban poor” (pg. 1). As society began to change and progress at such a quick pace, many people have been left behind and have had to adapt to survive to their new environments.
Meanwhile, another 3 billion people are going to need somewhere to live. By 2050, 70% of us are going to be living in cities. This century will see the rapid expansion of cities, as well as the emergence of entirely new cities that do not yet exist. It 's worth mentioning that of the 19 Brazilian cities that have doubled in population in the past decade, 10 are in the Amazon. All this is going to use yet more land.
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
“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.”
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.
In developed and developing countries, urban centers have been an alternative center for human settlement and hence, the rate of urbanization is increasing at the turn of this century. Recent studies indicate that at the beginning of the twentieth century, only 10% of the world’s population lived in urban areas. However, currently, half of the world’s population has become urban dwellers (UNCHS, 2002). This shows that urbanization all over the world is expanding from time to time and the change has vast implication on the living conditions of the urban society. Due to rapid urbanization, the concentration of people especially, in cities and towns of developing countries increasingly aggravated the problem of housing. A large proportion of residents in cities and towns developed as well as developing countries are tenants (UN-HABITAT, 2003).
Cities, being the nodes of opportunities and growth, are urbanizing the world at a faster pace than ever. The cities have to respond to this uneven change with immediate priority. The fundamental criteria that differentiates a city from a village is its population density. Urban density can play a key role in the improvement of socio-cultural as well as environmental aspects.
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.
With the start of globalization and international expansion cities became a more significant part for various industry sectors. By 2000, more than 500 cities had more than one million inhabitants. According to the United Nations, 54% of the world’s population currently live in urban areas. Urbanization combined with the overall growth of the world’s population could add another 2.5 billion people to urban populations by 2050, with close to 90 percent of the increase concentrated in Asia and Africa. This significant change of urbanization will lead to challenges in satisfying the needs for housing, infrastructure, transportation, energy supply and employment, as well as for basic services such as education and health care .
Urbanisation is a global problem with various impacts in different fields. “Urbanisation is the transformation of society from rural life to life in towns and cities” McDonald and McMillen (2010, p.8). The United Nations published, that in 1950 there was 2.54 billion of the population which equivalent to 29.1% of the world population was living in cities, but this percentage increased to 48.6% that means 6.5 billion of the world’s population in 2005. This indicates that the number of urban people had doubled about four times from 739 million in 1950 to 3.16 billion in 2005. It is expected to