This mini-lesson covers the Challenges of an Urbanising World: what urbanisation is and why it happens, a UK city and a city in an emerging country (Mumbai), the challenges of rapid urban growth, and how cities can become more sustainable.
Work through each screen, answer the questions as you go (multiple-choice, numeric, short-answer and games) and collect ⭐ stars. Press Start.
Urbanisation
What is urbanisation?
Urbanisation is the increasing proportion of people living in towns and cities. Since 2007, more than half the world's population has lived in urban areas.
Developed countries (e.g. UK) urbanised long ago and are now highly urban; growth is slow.
Emerging & developing countries (e.g. India, Nigeria) are urbanising fastest now, driving the growth of huge megacities (over 10 million people).
Key term — megacity: a city with more than 10 million people. Most new megacities are in emerging and developing countries.
Causes
Why cities grow: push and pull
Cities in emerging countries grow through rural–urban migration and natural increase (young migrants have children):
Push factors (drive people from the countryside): poverty, few jobs, drought/crop failure, poor services.
Pull factors (attract people to the city): more jobs, higher wages, better schools and healthcare, "bright lights".
Sort it
Push or pull factor?
Tap a reason, then tap whether it pushes people out or pulls them in.
➡️ Push (from country)
⬅️ Pull (to city)
UK city case study
A UK city: Birmingham
Birmingham is the UK's second-largest city (~1.1 million people). It grew during the Industrial Revolution and has since changed a lot:
Migration: people have moved in from the rest of the UK and abroad, making Birmingham very ethnically diverse.
Deindustrialisation: factories closed, causing unemployment and derelict land in the inner city.
Regeneration: projects such as the Bullring shopping centre and Brindleyplace redeveloped run-down areas; new services and offices replaced lost factory jobs.
Exam tip: for a UK city, be ready to describe how migration, deindustrialisation and regeneration have changed it — with named examples.
Emerging-country city
A city in an emerging country: Mumbai
Mumbai (India) is a megacity of over 20 million people — India's financial capital and a magnet for migrants:
Opportunities: jobs in finance, Bollywood, IT and the huge informal sector; higher wages than rural India.
Challenges: rapid growth has outpaced housing, so around half the population lives in slums such as Dharavi — dense, self-built housing with poor sanitation.
Also: traffic congestion, air pollution and pressure on water and power.
Note: slums like Dharavi are overcrowded and lack services, but are also busy hubs of small businesses and recycling — not just places of poverty.
Quick check
Rapid urban growth
?Why do large, self-built slums such as Dharavi develop in fast-growing cities like Mumbai?
Urban challenges
The challenges of urban growth
Rapid urban growth creates linked social, economic and environmental challenges:
Housing — shortages, overcrowding and slums/squatter settlements.
Services — not enough clean water, sanitation, schools and healthcare for everyone.
Jobs — many people work in the low-paid, unregulated informal sector.
Environment — traffic congestion, air and water pollution, and waste disposal problems.
Match it
Match the term to its meaning
Tap a term on the left, then tap its correct description on the right.
Quick check
Working in the city
?Many people in fast-growing cities like Mumbai work in the informal sector. What does this mean?
Number check
Working out the change
🔢A city's population grew from 8 million to 20 million over 30 years. By how many million did it increase?
million
Increase = final − starting population.
Sustainable living
Making cities more sustainable
A sustainable city meets the needs of today's residents without spoiling life for the future. Strategies include:
Transport — reliable public transport, cycling and walking to cut car use and pollution.