Week 5: Lesson 3 and 4 – What makes cities grow?

Over 50% of the world’s population live in cities. But what has made cities grow?

Natural Increase

Rural-Urban Migration

Key Terms:Rural-Urban MigrationPush FactorPull Factor

Natural increase will happen when there are a large number of young adults who are aged 18-35. There will be an even greater natural increase if there is only a small percentage of older people. As a country become more developed they will have access to better healthcare.

This is the movement of people from living in rural areas to urban areas. The reasons why people may choose to migrate are called push and pull factors.

Week 5: Lesson 3 and 4 – What makes cities grow?

Push Factor – This is something negative that would make you want to leave an area.

Pull Factor – This is something positive that would make you want to move to a certain place.

As geographers we want to understand why so many people around the globe in every country are moving into cities from rural areas. We can categorise the reasons (or factors) in two ways, push and pull factors.

Week 5: Lesson 3 and 4 – What makes cities grow?

Week 5: Lesson 3 and 4 – What makes cities grow?

Week 5: Lesson 3 and 4 – What makes cities grow?

Week 5: Lesson 3 and 4 – What makes cities grow?

Generic push and pull factors that could exist in any HIC, LIC or NEE causing rural to urban migration.

Farming is difficult and not very well paid.

There are more well paid jobs.

A higher standard of living is possible.

Desertification and soil erosion make farming difficult.

More friends and family have already moved to live there.

Drought and other climate hazards reduce crop yields.

Farming is often at subsistence level. Often producing only enough food for the family, leaving nothing to sell.

There is a better chance of getting an education.

Poor harvest may lead to malnutrition or famine.

More public transport

There are fewer doctors or hospitals per person.

Local education is limited to primary and maybe secondary. May have to travel for higher education.

A wide range of entertainment is available.

Areas can be socially isolated due to lack of roads.

More advanced medical care/facilities.

Key Terms:Subsistence farmingDesertificationMalnutrition

Sunita’s Story

My name is Sunita. Two years ago my parents, my brother Rakesh and I came to live in Mumbai, in an area called Dharavi. Everyone here is poor. Our house only has two rooms, but we have electricity. My father says at least we have work. One day maybe my brother and I will be rich!

Dharavi is crowded, noisy and very busy. Outside our house people wash laundry, sew clothes and bash dents out of oil cans to recycle them. There are 15 000 small workshops here.

It is very smelly, with open sewers. I like to walk to the biscuit factory because it smells nicer there!

I go to school every morning and learn maths and literacy. In the afternoon I help my mother clean the house. Then I go rag picking with my friends to earn some money.

Week 5: Lesson 3 and 4 – What makes cities grow?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xS_khd82VO0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fU8AnqSOih0

Below are three videos that are optional to watch. The first video shows life in rural India. The second shows the opportunities in Mumbai India. The third video shows life inthe Dharavi shanty town in Mumbai. (Don’t need to watch all of the videos as some are quite long)Remember when people migrate from rural areas to urban areas they are pulled by the opportunities the city provide. However, not all who migrate gain access to those opportunities and end up in shanty towns. However, are shanty towns all negative?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fj8WObtCMJI

IMPORTANT: Mumbai in India IS NOT the case study for urbanisation. It is just an example to show different push and pull factors.

Week 5: Lesson 3 and 4 – What makes cities grow?

What you have learnt so far:

>There are two reasons why urban growth (urbanisation) is happening. This is because of natural increase and rural to urban migration.

>It is usually young people who are moving from rural areas to urban areas in search of better social and economic opportunities.

>There are two factors why rural to urban migration is happening.There are push factors, which are things that make you not want to live in your rural area any more. There are pull factors which are things that make you want to move to a specific urban area.

>Not everyone who moves to urban areas gets the lifestyle they are looking for. This causes people to live in slums/shanty towns/favelas. This causes opportunities and challenges in the city that they live in.

Week 5: Lesson 3 and 4 – What makes cities grow?

Week 5: Lesson 3 and 4 – What makes cities grow?

Key Terms:Rural-Urban Migration – The movement of people from rural areas to urban areas.

Push Factor – A reason someone migrates from an area. Something that makes you want to move.

Pull Factor – A reason someone migrates to an area. Something that makes you want to live in a specific place.

Subsistence farming – When a farmer grows food that is enough for themselves and their family. Not to sell and make a profit on. We came across this word when we were looking at the different reasons why tropical rainforests are experiencing deforestation.

Desertification – Where fertile land turns into a desert. This could be caused by drought (lack of rainfall for a long period of time), deforestation or badly managed agriculture.

Malnutrition – Where a person does not get the right nutrition which can lead to starvation, organ failure and possibly death.