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Urban Growth And Urbanization

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Sustainable Cities One of the most extreme and rapidly growing anthropogenic pressures on the natural world is urbanization. The process of urbanization has been dynamic playing out over multiple scales of space and time. According to complexity theory, cities have been interpreted as complex, dynamics, self-organizing systems that are continually changing under pressures of certain factors due to internal processes and external factors (Galderisi). Urban areas have been growing twice as fast as urban population (Karen C. Seto). Urbanization, however, varies significantly across countries. Some of the major trends witnessed in urban areas include; - spatial growth of urban areas faster than urban population, modification of both local and …show more content…

Energy demands, wastes, buildings, water services and industrial process are an outcome of urbanization (Frank Nevens). Some of these issues tend to affect human population either directly or indirectly. For example, the growth of built up areas in cities have contributed to a climatic phenomenon, urban heat island, which is explained as the condition whereby cities experience warmer temperatures than the surrounding rural areas. This has resulted in heat-related health problems thus raising concern among researchers and human being as a general. There are other severe environmental problems that are likely to occur in cities. Industries within cities have contributed to poor water and air quality (Maria João Alcoforado). Fumes released into the atmosphere contaminates the air and when inhaled may cause respiratory problems. There are also industries that release their waste into water sources such as rivers thus tampering with the aquatic eco-system. Some industries also cause noise pollution thus causing disturbance to people residing around such areas. Other than industries, exhaustive fumes from vehicles have also contributed to the pollution of air with increased number of motor vehicles in urban areas. These vehicles introduce carbon dioxide into the atmosphere making it dangerous for human existence. Urban areas have also been considered to be the primary source of greenhouse gas emissions which account for more than 70 percent of global greenhouse gases that are

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