Urbanisation (HL IB Environmental Systems & Societies (ESS))

Urbanisation

What is urbanisation?

• Urbanisation is the process where a growing proportion of a country's population moves from rural areas (countryside) to urban areas (cities and towns)

  • This shift results in land becoming more built-up, with infrastructure, housing, and industrialisation dominating the urban landscape

  • As urbanisation occurs, cities:

    • Expand

    • Develop more dense populations

    • Experience more continuous human activity

• According to the World Bank, 56% (4.4 billion) of the world’s population now live in towns and cities

Rural–urban migration

• Rural-urban migration is a major factor driving urbanisation

  • It is the movement of people from the countryside to cities in search of:

    • Better living conditions

    • Job opportunities

    • Safety

• This migration causes the urban population to grow, often at the expense of the rural population

  • For example, in China, rural-urban migration has led to massive city growth, with people moving from farming regions to cities like Shenzhen and Beijing in search of jobs in factories or offices

• Rural-urban migration is mostly internal migration (within a country)

Urbanisation pathway

• Countries become more urban as they develop economically

• This transition from LICs to HICs can be shown as a pathway over time 

• The pace through the stages slows and flattens or will decline as counter urbanisation gains speed

Push and pull factors of rural–urban migration

• Push factors are the reasons people leave rural areas

• These include:

  • Poverty: lack of jobs and low wages in rural areas

  • Poor living conditions: limited access to services like healthcare, education, and clean water

  • Natural disasters: droughts, floods, or other environmental challenges that make farming difficult

• Pull factors are the attractions of urban areas that draw people to move there

• These include:

  • Job opportunities: cities often offer more and better-paying jobs, especially in industries, services, and trade

  • Improved living conditions: access to better healthcare, education, and housing in cities

  • Social and cultural opportunities: cities provide more entertainment, cultural events, and lifestyle choices

Awaiting image: Push and pull factors

Image caption: Push and pull factors of rural–urban migration

Forced and voluntary migration

• Voluntary migration:

  • When people choose to move to cities for better opportunities or living conditions

• Forced migration:

  • When people are pushed into cities due to circumstances like war, famine, or natural disasters

  • For example, refugees fleeing conflict in Syria and moving to urban areas in nearby countries such as Turkey and Jordan

Deurbanisation trends

• Deurbanisation refers to the reverse process where people move out of cities and back to rural or suburban areas

• This can happen due to:

  • Overcrowding: cities becoming too congested, leading to higher costs of living and poorer living conditions

  • Improved rural opportunities: development in rural areas offering better services, jobs, and living conditions

  • Technological changes: with the rise of remote working, people can live in rural areas while working for urban companies