Urbanization and Sustainable Cities Chapter 22 Meghan McKeon

1. Urbanization and Sustainable Cities Chapter 22 Meghan McKeon

2. Urbanization • A majority of humanity lived in rural areas where they would farm, fish, hunt, harvest, or mine or order to survive. • Urbanization began to grow especially quickly after the industrial revolution • Urbanization- An increase in concentration of the population in cities and transformation of land use to an urban pattern of organization • 2005 half the worlds population lived in urban areas and because urban populations are growing 1.8 percent per year it is said that 60% will live in cities by 2030 and by 2200 80% of the population may be urban. • United States population is 75 percent urban. • Urbanization is responsible for the slowing of population growth

3. City Functions • Rural Area- most residents depend on agriculture or other ways of harvesting natural resources for their livelihood • Urband Area- a majority of people are not directly dependant on natural resource-based occupations • Village- collection of rural households linked by culture, costums and family ties • City- a differentiated community with a population and resource base large enough to allow residents to specialize in arts, crafts, professions, etc. • Megacity- Is a city with a population greater than 10 million Examples: • Mexico City: 16.6 M, Mexico; New York: 16.3M; Los Angeles:12.4, USA; Tokyo: 26.9M, Japan; Mumbay: 15.1, India

4. Urbanization • The U.S underwent a dramatic change from rural to urban in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries • 1850- 2% of worlds population lived in cities. 2000- 47% • Only Africa and South Asia remain predominantly rural; however, people are still moving to cities in large amounts • Figure 22.6

5. Why Cities Grow Causes: - Are either natural (more births than deaths) or Immigration Natural increase: • Natural increase factors in urban growth result from improved medical care, food supplies and better sanitation • Natural increase is especially an important factor in urban areas of Latin America and Asia. Immigration: • Immigration to cities results from push and pull factors • Push factors force people out of the country side • Unemployment in farming communities is a push factor for urban growth • Pull factors draw them to cities • Better access to education at big universities is a pull factor for urban growth

6. Immigration Cont’d • Unemployment in farming communities is a push factor for urban growth • Better access to education at big universities is a pull factor for urban growth • Televisions and other mass media contribute to urban growth by making urban life appear luxurious and accessible. • Government Policies (especially in developing nations) also favor urbanization by pushing and pulling people into cities. Because Developing nations spend most of their money to improve urban areas it creates more jobs within cities. • The Government can also control exchange rates and food prices to benefit the powerful urban population at the expense of the rural population.

7. Urbanization • Large cities in both developed and developing countries are undergoing great problems; however, the real issues lies within developing nations • 90% of human population growth is expected to occur in cities of developing nations such as Africa, Asia, and South America, which already have problems supplying food, water, housing, jobs, and basic needs. • The rapid growth can lead to tragic urban environmental problems.

8. Developing Nations Problems • Infrastructure (Traffic and Congestion) • Jakarta is one of the most densely populated cities in the world. People spend hours in traffic • Bangkok- the average person spends the equivalent of 44 days a year sitting in traffic jams. 20% of fuel is used up by vehicles standing still • All the traffic involves old, poorly maintained vehicles combined with smoky factories, and the use of wood or coal for cooking and heating can create a thick pall of air pollution in cities. • Air pollution in major cities is responsible for extremely high rates of respiratory diseases. • 60% of Calcutta’s residents suffer from respiratory diseases • Lung cancer in Shanghai is reported to be four to seven times higher in rates in the countryside.

9. Developing Nations Problems Cont’d • With lack of pollution laws, corrupt officials, and inadequate equipment will exacerbate the problem Sewer Systems and Water Pollution • Diseases that are caused by water pollution in the major cities are mainly due to the lack of waste treatment systems to accommodate the population. HOUSING: • Housing shortages lead to • Slums: dwelling places that are legal but have inadequate living conditions. • Shantytowns: dwelling places that are illegal and built by residents. They surround every megacity in the developing world • Squatter towns: where people occupy land without owner’s permission. They’re similar to shantytowns but are often dangerous places to live because the land they are on is commonly unstable, polluted, or near industrial sites.

10. Developed Nations Problems • London has lost 2 million people, dropping from 8.6 million in 1939 to 6.7 million now, while the metropolitan area surrounding London has grown about 10 million. • Many of the worst urban environmental issues have been reduced and diseases have been eliminated due to improved sanitation and medical care and technologies. • Automobiles make it possible for people to live outside the cities • Philadelphia and Detroit have lost population as industry moved to developing countries.

11. Sprawl • The move to suburbs and rural areas are causing sprawl, cities that once were compact now spread over the landscape consuming open space and wasting resources. • Characteristics • Unlimited outward extension • Low density residential and commercial development • Fragmentation of power among many small united of government • Dominance of freeways and private automobiles • No centralized planning or control of land uses • Widespread strip malssreliance on deteriorating older neighborhoods for low income housing • Decaying citiy centers as new developmentoccurs in previously rural areas

12. Developed Nations Problems • Spreading out to suburbs equals long commute times. Even though we have more efficient cars and cleaner, we are driving much more and spending more time in stalled traffic burning more fuel and producing more pollution. • The United States spends $78 billion per year in waster time and fuel

13. Smart Growth • Smart Growth- a term that describes strategies for well planned developments that make efficient and effective use of land resources and existing infrastructure. • Goals • Create a positive self-image for community • Make the downtown vital and livable • Alleviate substandard housing • Solve problems with air, water, toxic waster, and noise pollution • Improve communication between groups • Improve community member access to the arts

14. Smart Growth • By planning a range of housing styles and costs, smart growth allows people of all income levels including young families and senior citizens to find housing they can afford. • The aim is to direct growth, make pleasant spaces to live in, preserve accessible, natural spaces for all. • It strives to promote safety, livability, and revitalization of existing urban and rural communities • Attempts to reduce traffic and to conserve farmlands, wetlands, and open space

15. Smart Growth • Ebenezer Howard, the influential urban planner was the first modern planner to advocate comprehensive land-use planning. He wrote Garden Cities of Tomorrow, it proposed that the congestion of London could be relieve by moving whole neighborhoods to garden cities. • New Towns-experimental urban environments that seek to combine the best features of the rural village and the modern city • Garden Cities- a new town with special emphasis on landscaping and rural ambience

16. Smart Growth • Rather then abandon historical infrastructure, Andres Duany and Peter Calthorpe came up with “new urbanism” which would attempt to redesign metropolitan areas to make them more appealing, efficient, and livable. • The goal is to rekindle Americans’ enthusiasm for cities. • They do this by building charming developments, sidewalks, porches, small front yards, townhouses, etc.

17. Green Urbanism- • Green Urbanism- a term that describes many strategies to redevelop existing cities to promote ecologically sound practices. • Example: Stockholm, Sweden, built small satellite suburbs linked to the central city by commuter rails and bicycle routes that pass through a network of green spaces that reach far into the city

18. Common Principles of Green Urbanists • When building new structures, focus on filling in the inner city so as to help preserve green space in and around the cities • Build high density, attractive, low-rise, mixed income housing near the center of cities • Provide incentives for alternative transportations • Encourage co-housing • Provide facilities for recycling organic waste, plastics, etc • Encourage green roofs

19. Case Study • BedZED, Beddington Zero Engery Development. It is built on the grounds of an old sewage plant in South London. It is filled with green strategies to preserve energy. It uses energy but it generates its own heat and electricity in a small, on site, superefficient plant that uses local tree trimmings for fuel. • BedZED residents have no need for cars because the commuter rail stations is a ten minute walk and office space is available on site. • Community events are planned to create a friendly environment and residents have green roofs and interiors have natural light, and ceilings are high.