Topic 7: The Challenges of an Urban World
How have cities grown and what challenges do they face?
The world is increasingly
Examine urbanisation trends globally
urbanised as cities grow
and across different regions, including
due to different processes.
reasons for growth (migration and
internal growth).
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Contrast the economic activities, spatial
growth and population of ‘megacities’
(cities with more than 10 million people)
in the developed and developing world.
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Examine urban challenges in the
developed world, including food, energy,
transport and waste disposal demands
that may lead to concentrated resource
consumption.
Cities in the developed
world have huge potential
for reducing their
environmental impact
(eco-footprint).
To learn a definition for urbanisation.
To understand why urbanisation is
occurring – through migration (push-pull
factors) and natural increase in cities.
To understand that urbanisation is now
occurring more rapidly in developing
countries.
To learn a definition for megacity.
To understand the economic activity
(jobs/businesses) undertaken in
megacities.
To understand how megacities have
grown, how the structure/layout is
different in developing and developed
countries.
To understand the population structures
and how people live in megacities.
To learn the key problems in cities in
the developed world.
Examine urban challenges in the
developed world, including food, energy,
transport and waste disposal demands
that may lead to concentrated resource
consumption.
Examine urban challenges in the
developing world, including slum
housing, the informal economy and urban
pollution, that lead to low quality of life.
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To learn the key problems in cities in
the developing world.
Investigate why eco-footprints vary from
city to city and assess how one named
city in the developed world is lessening
its eco-footprint by reducing energy
consumption and waste generation.
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To learn a definition for ‘eco-footprint’
To know how ‘eco-footprints’ are
measured.
To know why eco-footprints can be
different.
Know how one city e.g. York, has tried to
reduce its eco-footprint. To be able to
explain how it has reduced the amount
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Analyse the potential for more
sustainable transport in a named city in
the developed world.
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Different strategies can be
used to manage social and
environmental challenges
in developing world cities.
Consider the success of strategies to
improve quality of life in cities in the
developing world: self-help schemes,
the work of NGOs, urban planning (e.g.
Curitiba).
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Evaluate the advantages and
disadvantages of attempts to develop
less-polluted cities, e.g. Masdar City,
Mexico City.
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of energy it uses and reduce the amount
of waste if generates.
To be able to describe how one city e.g.
London has tried to make its transport
more sustainable e.g. congestions
charge, low emission zones, improving
cycle provision (Boris Bikes), electric
cars, SkyCycle bike routes.
Be able to discuss whether these
strategies have been successful.
To understand strategies introduced in
LEDC cities to improve quality of life.
To be able to give an example and
describe a self-help scheme
To be able to describe the work of nongovernmental organisations.
To understand how the planning of
urban areas can improve quality e.g.
Curitiba.
To be able to give evidence as to
whether these schemes have been
successful.
To learn a case study of one city where
attempts have been made to make it
less polluting.
To understand the advantages and
disadvantages of strategies put in place
to make it less polluting.