Section A: Urban Issues And Challenges
Overview
Somewhere around 2007 the human species crossed a line it had been walking towards for ten thousand years: for the first time, more of us lived in towns and cities than in the countryside. By 2018 the figure was about 55 per cent, and the United Nations expects roughly 68 per cent by 2050. Almost all of that growth is happening in lower income countries and newly emerging economies, and almost all of it is happening faster than anyone can build sewers.
This lesson takes you into two very different urban worlds. First a major city in a newly emerging economy, Mumbai, where growth has delivered extraordinary opportunity and extraordinary hardship on the same street, and where a slum of roughly a square mile contains a recycling industry the city could not function without. Then the world cities, London and New York, which the specification names for you, where the challenge is not building fast enough but managing wealth, inequality, waste and traffic in places that have been global for centuries. You will finish able to argue about whether urban planning really improves life for the urban poor, and whether a flagship regeneration project benefits the people who were already there.
Objectives
- A growing percentage of the world’s population lives in urban areas.
- Urban growth creates opportunities and challenges for cities in LICs and NEEs.
- World cities - London and New York World cities have global importance as centres for finance, business and trade, as well as culture and politics. These, like
- others, face a variety of social, economic and environmental opportunities and challenges.
- The global pattern of urban change.
- Urban trends in different parts of the world including Higher income countries (HICs) and Lower income countries (LICs). Factors affecting the rate of urbanisation - migration (push-pull theory), natural increase. The emergence of megacities. A case study of a major city in an LIC or NEE to illustrate:
- the location and importance of the city, regionally, nationally and internationally
- causes of growth: natural increase and migration
- how urban growth has created opportunities:
- social: access to services - shops, leisure, health and education; access to resources - water supply, energy
- economic: how urban industrial areas can be a stimulus for economic development
- how urban growth has created challenges:
- managing urban growth - slums, squatter settlements
- providing clean water, sanitation systems and energy
- seeking sustainability in providing water and energy - water and energy conservation
- providing access to services - health and education
- reducing unemployment and crime
- managing environmental issues - waste disposal, waste recycling, air and water pollution, traffic congestion. An example of how urban planning is improving the quality of life for the urban poor.
- Overview of the distribution of population of world cities.
- London and New York as examples of world cities to illustrate:
- the location of the city nationally and globally
- impacts of national and international migration on the growth and character of the multinational world city
- the importance of the city nationally and globally in terms of finance, business, trade, culture and politics
- economic, social and environmental opportunities offered by the world city - employment, recreation and entertainment and urban greening Economic, social and environmental challenges in the world city:
- urban deprivation, inequalities in housing, education, health and employment, dereliction, building on brownfield and greenfield sites and the impact of urban sprawl, supplying food
- keeping the city moving - dealing with traffic congestion, dealing with waste via disposal, reducing and recycling, water and energy conservation. An example of a flagship urban regeneration project to show:
- reasons why the area needed regeneration
- the main features of the project
- the social, economic and environmental impact of the project.
Mind map
This topic is mapped out so you can see how the ideas connect.
Open the mind map in the app
Lesson Note
Complete Note Available on the Green Bridge App
Get the Green Bridge CBT app on your phone or computer for the complete IGCSE library: past papers, mark schemes, mind maps, flashcards and audio lessons.
Lesson Evaluation
Congratulations on completing the lesson on Section A: Urban Issues And Challenges. Now that youve explored the key concepts and ideas, its time to put your knowledge to the test. This section offers a variety of practice questions designed to reinforce your understanding and help you gauge your grasp of the material.
You will encounter a mix of question types, including multiple-choice questions, short answer questions, and essay questions. Each question is thoughtfully crafted to assess different aspects of your knowledge and critical thinking skills.
Use this evaluation section as an opportunity to reinforce your understanding of the topic and to identify any areas where you may need additional study. Don't be discouraged by any challenges you encounter; instead, view them as opportunities for growth and improvement.
- A megacity is an urban area with a population of at least: A. 1 million B. 5 million C. 10 million D. 20 million Answer: C
- Which of the following is a pull factor for rural to urban migration? A. Drought damaging crops B. Land divided between too many children C. Better hospitals and schools in the city D. Mechanisation reducing farm work Answer: C
- What is meant by a brownfield site? A. Land at the edge of a city that has never been built on B. Land that has been built on before and is often derelict or contaminated C. Land protected from development by law D. Land used for urban agriculture Answer: B
- Which of the following best explains why natural increase is high in a rapidly growing city in a newly emerging economy? A. Migrants are mostly elderly B. Migrants are mostly young adults of child bearing age C. The city has a higher death rate than the countryside D. Families in cities are always larger than rural families Answer: B
- Which of these is an example of urban greening? A. Charging drivers to enter the city centre B. Building an underground railway line C. Converting a disused railway viaduct into a planted park D. Metering household water supply Answer: C
Work through these questions in the app
Work through these questions in the app
Recommended Books
Practice Mock Questions
Want to practice mock questions on Section A: Urban Issues And Challenges? Download the Green Bridge CBT app to access mock questions and full practice assessments for this topic.
Download The App On Google Playstore
Everything you need to excel in your exams
