Urbanization

Urbanization

Urbanization is the proportion of a society’s population that resides in urban areas. One of the main properties needed for a city to grow through urbanization is the ability to produce agricultural surplus which, therefore, allows those living in the city to pursue other forms of work. Throughout history it was difficult for a society to produce enough food and to transport it before it spoiled, which made it difficult for urban areas to grow. Improvements in areas such as sanitation have allowed dramatic population growth. In the past problems with sanitation and garbage disposal lead to illness, high death rates, and outbreaks such as the great plague of London in 1665, which killed 100 000 people. Because of these sanitation problems the death rate often exceeded the birth rate.

Counties such as Canada and the United States have seen major growth throughout the twentieth century. Within Canada the three largest and fastest growing cities, or the “big three”, are Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver. Far succeeding most other advanced societies, the big three account for 33.6 percent of our national population. Post World War II, Canada has seen growth not only in population, but also in land cover. Suburbanization is a new term that has been developed which refers to an improvement in transportation systems, and an increase in the amount of citizens who own an automobile which allows urban residents to live away from their current place of work, commuting to work everyday. Allowing this commute leads to growth of smaller communities on the fringe of urban areas. These communities are some of the fastest growing areas.

Today approximately two-thirds of the world’s urban population resides in cities of developing countries such as Asia, Africa and Latin America. Over 50 years ago, the majority was in Europe and North America. The UN predicts that over 80 percent of urban dwellers will live in developing countries by the year 2030. Currently, more and more cities are surpassing the 10 million mark in population, such as New York City. One major form of population growth has been through migration. Many migrate to urban cities with the hopes of better lives for themselves, and their families. Cities do, in fact, offer better services like water and electricity, and they also offer education, healthcare and employment. But