1. What are the characteristics
of Urbanisation?
L/O:
All: To define urbanisation and understand the two major factors that have led to urbanisation (C grade)
Most: To explain the trends in urbanisation around the world (B grade)
Some: To evaluate the impacts of urbanisation around the world (A*/A grade)
To Start:
In pairs come up with a definition of Urbanisation. (If you really don’t know break the word up…what is Urban?
Have you heard this term before? Where?)

2. Urbanisation There have been TWO main waves of urbanisation
In HIC’s during and following the industrial revolution
In LIC’s since 1950 (especially Asia and Latin America)
In 1800 only 3% of the world’s population lived in towns of over 5000 people
Urbanisation began over the next 100 years and by % of the population lived in towns or small cities
By % of the world’s population lived in urban areas and the number is rising all the time (It is expected to hit 66% by 2050)

3. Describe what Figure 1 shows about urban growth past and projected in
developed countries
developing countries
(4 marks)
Give reasons why:
A high percentage (80%) of the population is urban in the UK, but the percentage is not likely to increase.
A low percentage (under 45%) is urban in developing countries like China and the percentage is likely to keep increasing.
1. Industrial revolution. 2. LEDCs since 1950s 3

5. Urbanisation is generally linked with economic development.
As a country moves from a mainly rural agricultural economy
to a more industrial, commercial economy, the population
becomes increasingly concentrated in towns and cities.
Countries that have reached high levels of economic
development usually have an urban population of over
75% of the total population and rates of urban growth are low.

6. Urbanisation is a global process, but it is occurring at very different rates in different parts of the world.
Figure 2
Urban Population 1950 – 2030
Task:
The line graph opposite shows the “Urban Population 1950 – 2030”
Describe the trend in urbanisation over time using Figure 2. (4 marks)
Support your answer with evidence from the graph.
The best answers will give evidence to support the trends you identify e.g. In 1950, The level of urbanisation in the least developed countries was only 8%. By 2030…

7. Rates of Urbanisation Urbanisation in HIC’s
Occurred from 1850 onwards due to industrialisation
Encouraged workers to migrate from rural areas to work in factories and mines
Housing was built nearby as transport was poor but living conditions were not good
In the UK this explains why ‘inner cities’ have old 19th century terraced housing
Urbanisation in LIC’s
Urban growth in LIC’s has been huge in the last 50 years. This has resulted in megacities
The fastest growing are in Latin America, SE Asia, Japan and Korea
This is caused by rural-urban migration (push-pull) factors as well as natural increase of population
Wealthy people live closer the centre with the poor living further away

8. Rates of Urbanisation
Between 1850 and 1950 HIC’s experienced rapid urbanisation. The UK was a leader in rural to urban migration. The USA and Europe also experienced rapid urbanisation whilst most LIC’s still had high rural populations.
Since 1950 LIC’s have experienced rapid urbanisation (urban pop. doubled between 1950 and 1990). HIC’s in contrast expanded by less than half. The trend would appear to continue over the next 50 years as more people look to move to the city in LIC’s and away from cities in HIC’s