Urban Geography. Basic Terms in Urban Geography

Transcription

1 Urban Geography -What is urban geography? The branch of human geography that describes and examines the spatial aspects of the locations, functions, hierarchies, and interrelations of cities, and the site, evolution, and socio-economic development of cities. Basic Terms in Urban Geography urbanization a process the movement of people from the country to the city and the change in lifestyle that goes along with it as populations urbanize, areas on the periphery become incorporated into the city a statistic the percentage of the total population that lives in cities 2006 world 48%, MDCs 77% LDCs 41% Canada 79% Highest Bahrain, Qatar, Singapore, Monaco 100% Lowest: Burundi 9%, Uganda 12%, Papua-New Guinea, Lesotho 13%, Malawi, Nepal 14% 1

2 World Urbanization % Urbanization by Country, 1999 Source: 2

3 urbanism the urban way of life related to the main types of economic activity: primary sector resource extraction (farming, fishing, forestry, mining) few spinoff jobs, low skills, few options if closes -> RURAL secondary sector manufacturing jobs (making things) tend to be in CITIES tertiary sector service jobs (retailing, clerical, leisure activities) quaternary sector professional jobs (medicine, law, education) & management quinary top level corporate executives of corporations, political elite concentrated in Global Cities 3

4 Basic Terms (con t) Urbanism With move from rural to urban areas, not only employment changes, other aspects of lifestyle: food clothing entertainment cultural diversity community family structure transportation Basic Terms (con t) city a political term - same Latin root as citizen and civilization) in Europe free cities given charter from king releasing city (within walls) from feudal obligations level of government can be defined by population (distinguish from towns / villages) Japan Quebec 5000 ROC 1000 Sweden 200 cities have defined boundaries 82 in Montreal area, 15 on island of Montreal can be annexed, merged, demerged not very useful to urban geographers 4

5 City of Pointe-Claire urban area Basic Terms (con t) more useful than numbers of people, takes instead the activities of the population - non primary activities metropolitan area the combination of a: central city the one in the middle, the historic core area (i.e. Montreal) suburbs the expanding ring of cities surrounding the central city (81 around Mtl) Montreal metropolitan area stretches from Hudson to Mirabel, Assomption, Contrecoeur, Chambly, to Beauharnois 5

6 Government how do you govern a metropolitan area? multiple municipal governments (Boston - >300) merger to one megacity? (Ottawa, Houston, Calgary) regional structures? (US counties, agglomeration council) until 1920s, Montreal annexed most suburbs exceptions wealthy Westmount, Outremont, TMR... Drapeau one island, one city Montreal Urban Community Merger / Demerger / Remerger?

7 Montreal Metropolitan Area Megacities 2004 city over 10 million population 1 in 1950, 20 in 2004, by

8 Global Cities Basic Terms some cities have direct, tangible effect on global affairs through socioeconomic, cultural, and/or political means included are factors such as: global services (accountancy, advertising, legal, finance) first-name familiarity (without country) influence and participation in world affairs advanced communications infrastructure world-renowned cultural institutions and a lively cultural scene powerful, influential media outlets with an international reach emergence with globalization Global Cities 8

9 Basic Terms (con t) Urban Landuses residential industrial commercial transportation public Urban Planning the use of government power to regulate urban landuses Montreal Landuse 9

10 Montreal Commercial Montreal Employment 10

11 Megalopolis Jean Gottman merging of cities along a transportation route URBAN ORIGINS Why did people settle down? Agricultural surplus Trade Religion Defence 11

12 Urban Origins (con t) HEARTHs of city development 1.Egypt / Mesopotamia (modern Iraq) 2.Indus River valley (Pakistan) 3.Hwang Ho valley (northern China) However: 4.Mesoamerica - (central America) 5. Andean Highlands (Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia) other areas? Preconditions for Urban Growth Population Environment Technology Social Organization 12

13 Types of Cities Preindustrial City animate energy / transportation sources (animals and humans) centres of small scale exchange and artisanal production small size & population rigid social structure centred on market (exchange) and religious temple Preindustrial City 13

14 Montreal 1762 Industrial City Industrial City beginning in Britain in the 1700s, shift over to inanimate energy sources (especially coal) and cities became centres of industrial production rather than exchange explosion in city size - both population and area middle and upper classes fled city centre for suburbs streetcar and automobile transportation 14

15 Industrial City Post-Industrial City The Post-Industrial City a recent phenomenon (post 1945) gradual shift of employment to the suburbs (Edge City) deindustrialisation of inner city (to suburbs or LDCs) rising unemployment, especially in cities built on low skill industrial labour (i.e. Montreal and the textile industry) urban areas experience difficulties supporting infrastructure as tax base is eroded The DONUT EFFECT All the good stuff around the outside and a hole in the middle Edge City suburban downtowns 15

16 Edge City - Tysons Corner Virginia The Urbanization Curve Initial Stage low levels of urbanization Pre-Industrial City Montreal 1760 Acceleration Stage increasing rates of urbanization Industrial City Montreal 1900 Terminal Stage Urbanization levels out at 75-80% 16

17 Urbanization Curve 1759 Montreal

18 LDC Cities urbanization process much later in LDCs than MDCs in part due to colonialism colonies exported raw materials (primary), few manufactured (secondary) products most cities were ports for export (i.e. Calcutta, Bangkok, Lima) LDC Cities Since 1950 massive wave of urbanization in LDCs push factors (lack of land, education, employment and services in rural areas) pull factors (job prospects, services, excitement of city) 18

19 LDC Cities speed and scale of urbanization much faster than MDCs 300 LDC cities with more than 1 M people, with a total population of over 1 B two main perspectives on LDC cities: modernization LDC cities are following model of MDC cities dependency / world systems LDC cities have been underdeveloped by colonialism / capitalist MDCs see overurbanization / false urbanization differently LDC Cities problems especially in employment and housing Employment problems matching unskilled migrants to limited number of jobs higher levels of technology mean fewer jobs even in low tech industry most jobs are in informal sector small scale, little capital, long hours, low wages, usually self-employment often illegal activities in most LDCs informal sector employs over 50% of labour force 19

20 Informal Sector LDC Cities Housing problems lack of supply and affordability existing housing stock is poor in quality, overcrowded (10-12 per room) and too expensive for new migrants squatter settlements have sprung up as a result illegal housing built by migrants themselves few services, constant risk of demolition Typically 50-90% of people in LDC cities live in squatter settlements 20

21 Squatter settlements Environmental problems LDC Cities cities in LDCs face variety of environmental problems Water problems of supply and quality overpumping of aquifers, polluted rivers Waste Disposal little organized disposal of liquid or solid waste large uncontrolled garbage dumps Air Pollution as cities industrialize, problems with factory emissions shift in transportation to automobile leads to increased pollution 21

22 Mexico City Case study: Population Pressure video see question sheet in Workbook 22