Notes

WHAT ARE TODAY’S
SETTLEMENT
TRENDS?
When you think of trends, what do you think of ? Trends are patterns of
how something is changing. Are there any trends that you have observed?
In this chapter we will examine settlement trends, which are patterns
in how people are settling around the world.
INCREASED GLOBAL MIGRATION
Today, there is more migration of people from place to place than ever
before. In 2013, there were 232 million migrants worldwide. The number of
migrants is expected to grow to 405 million by 2050.
Migration is caused by pull factors and push factors.
Pull factors
are
attractions that draw people to new areas. People may move to reunite with
family members. They may move to look for better education or higher-
paying jobs.
Push factors
are forces that drive people from their homes to
search for new places to live. Environmental migrants are one example of
people moving because of push factors. They are escaping drought or the
loss of natural resources near their homes. Other kinds of migrants may be
escaping poverty, religious persecution, conflict, or war.
In 2013, over one-quarter of the most educated people from several
countries in Central America, the Caribbean, and Africa had moved to a
different country, most often in a more developed nation. For example,
Guyana’s migration rate is among the
highest in the world. More than 55 percent
of its population—and 85 percent of its
university-educated citizens—have left.
Many moved to find jobs with higher
salaries, a pull factor. But many also left
because they opposed government policies
at home, a push factor (
Figure 3.1
).
pull factor a social, political,
economic, or environmental
attraction that draws
migrants to an area
push factor a social,
political, economic, or
environmental force that
drives migrants away
from an area
FIGURE 3.1
In 2001, protestors
marched in Georgetown, Guyana,
to demonstrate their opposition
to racial discrimination by
the government.
I wonder what happens to
countries when so many
skilled people leave?
Syrian Civil War Refugee Migration,
2012 to 2014
FIGURE 3.2
Flow map showing the number of
Syrian war refugees in several countries using data
collected in November 2014
74
UNIT
1
:
Global Settlement: Patterns and Sustainability
NEL
75
NEL
CHAPTER
3
:
Impacts of Settlement
INCREASING URBAN POPULATIONS WORLDWIDE
The world’s urban population is increasing (
Figure 3.5
). This trend is
expected to continue. In 2014, there were 3.9 billion urban dwellers. By 2045,
there will be 6 billion people living in cities. According to the UN, two-thirds
of the world’s population will live in urban areas by 2050.
The populations of individual cities are increasing. Some cities are now
megacities
—they have populations of more than 10 million people. Did you
know that, in 1990, there were 10 megacities in the world, and in 2014, there
were 28? The three largest megacities are Tokyo, Japan, with a population
of 38 million; Delhi, India, with a population of 25 million; and Shanghai,
China, with a population of 23 million. This shift toward urban living creates
both opportunities and challenges in urban areas.
DECREASING RURAL POPULATIONS WORLDWIDE
Migration to cities means fewer people living in rural areas across the globe.
The number of people who leave rural areas increases every year. In 2014,
there were about 3.4 billion people living in rural areas. By 2050, this will have
decreased to 3.2 billion. What will happen to rural settlements as people
move away?
megacity
an urban area with
more than 10 million people
FIGURE 3.5
Facts about
global urbanization
1900
1950
2008
2050 estimate
Percent of the Global Population
Living in Urban Areas
Growin Cities
15
%
30
%
50
%
are home to
of the world
’s
urban dwellers.
Meacities
12%
30
60
About
people in India
will mirate from rural
to urban areas every
seconds
for the next
This could mean India
needs 500
new cities
to provide for these
new urban dwellers.
The World’s
Goin Urban
30 or more
meacities
28 meacities
16 meacities
10 meacities
4 meacities
2 meacities
(New York and Tokyo)
the f
irst cit
ies
2025
estimate
2014
2000
1990
1980
1970 CE
3000 BCE
75
%
20
years
.
MIGRATION TO URBAN AREAS
Whether people are migrating from country to country or within a country,
they usually move from a rural area to an urban area. The flow map in
Figure 3.4
shows migration from 20 countries around the world to
Sydney, Australia. Sydney has the highest population of all cities in
Australia. Most of the migrants arriving in Sydney were looking for work
or reuniting with family members who were already there. A small number
were refugees.
As you read in Chapter 1, urbanization began during the Industrial
Revolution.
Urbanization
is the increase in the percentage of people living
and working in urban areas. It continues today, especially in countries that
have recently become
more developed
, or wealthier, such as Brazil. The
percentage of people living in cities in Brazil went from 74 percent in 1990 to
85 percent in 2013.
Developing countries
have limited access to technology, education,
and goods and services. More people in developing countries migrate
from rural areas to urban areas than they do in more developed countries.
Why? More people live in rural areas in developing countries. Also, people
migrate to cities because of pull factors: they hope that life will be better
there. People who live in cities usually have better access to clean water
and services, such as schools, healthcare, and electricity. They are generally
healthier and have higher incomes than people who live in rural areas.
urbanization
the process
by which the percentage of
people living in urban areas
increases
more developed country
a wealthier country with
access to technology and
education, with generally high
life expectancy
developing country
a less wealthy country with
limited access to technology
and education, with generally
low life expectancy
Sydney
I
R
A
Q
P
A
K
I
S
T
A
N
U
N
I
T
E
D
S
T
A
T
E
S
T
H
A
I
L
A
N
D
C
H
I
N
A
N
E
P
A
L
P
H
I
L
I
P
P
I
N
E
S
I
R
E
L
A
N
D
V
I
E
T
N
A
M
M
A
L
A
Y
S
I
A
F
I
J
I
S
O
U
T
H
K
O
R
E
A
I
N
D
I
A
B
A
N
G
L
A
D
E
S
H
S
R
I
L
A
N
K
A
U
N
I
T
E
D
K
I
N
G
D
O
M
I
N
D
O
N
E
S
I
A
L
E
B
A
N
O
N
I
R
A
N
S
O
U
T
H
A
F
R
I
C
A
N
1250 km
0
Geo 8
Figur
e Number
C03-F01-G08SB
Tech/Maps
Michael Borop
Pass
3rd pass
Approved
0176590552
Arrowheads at Sydney were removed because they converged chaotically
Country labels changed from Book to Medium style
FIGURE 3.4
This map shows the top 20 source countries for migration to Sydney, Australia.
What might be the pull factors that caused this migration?
Migrant Flow to Sydney, Australia, 2006–2011
What factors
might slow the trend of
people moving to cities
from rural areas?
more than 30 000
10 001–30 000
fewer than 10 000
Number of Migrants
Geo 8
Figur
e Number
C03-F01leg-G08SB
Tech/Maps
Michael Borop
Pass
3rd pass
Approved
0176590552
76
UNIT
1
:
Global Settlement: Patterns and Sustainability
CHAPTER
3
:
Impacts of Settlement
77
NEL
NEL
CHECK-
IN
1.
GATHER AND ORGANIZE
Create a graphic organizer
to show the reasons why people migrate. Use
two categories: push factors and pull factors.
2.
GEOGRAPHIC PERSPECTIVE
Reclaiming land can have
economic advantages. It also has environmental
impacts. Explain whether or not you think more
land should be reclaimed from the sea, and
give reasons.
3.
EVALUATE AND DRAW CONCLUSIONS
How would you
explain the increase in urban sprawl to a family
member? Why is it important to know about
urban sprawl?
4.
EVALUATE AND DRAW CONCLUSIONS
Many young
people migrate from rural areas to urban areas.
What impact might this have on birth rates in
rural areas?
MORE SETTLEMENT ALONG COASTS
As you learned in Chapter 1, many people settle along coastlines worldwide.
The coastal settlement trend is increasing. The number of people settling
along coastlines is predicted to increase by 30 percent from 1995 to 2025.
Some coastal cities cannot grow inland. There may be limited space or
obstacles, such as mountains. Instead, they may grow vertically and become
more dense.
Other cities are expanding into bodies of water, as you read in Chapter 2.
These cities are in countries such as Nigeria, Japan, China, and Singapore.
They have expanded their settlements in two ways: by reclaiming land from
the water and by creating new islands. The new land is used for various
purposes, such as for new housing, for a new or longer runway for an
airport, or to expand a port. For example, three artificial islands in
Dubai, United Arab Emirates, were created
to provide land for housing, hotels, and
entertainment centres (
Figure 3.7
).
ENVIRONMENTAL DAMAGE
Environmentalists are concerned about
the damage that expansion into the sea
causes to shoreline features, such as sand
dunes and mangrove forests, and to marine
ecosystems. For example, 25 percent of all
developed land in Hong Kong, China, is
already reclaimed from the sea. Hong Kong
has plans for several more engineering
projects in the sea. They include adding
a new runway to its international airport,
which is already on reclaimed land, and
will require reclaiming from the sea an area
as large as 5000 Olympic-sized swimming
pools. These projects threaten the habitat
of the Chinese white dolphin. In 2012, there
were only 61 white dolphins left.
SPRAWLING CITIES
Around the world, most urban areas are increasing in size to make room
for their growing populations. Many cities grow at their edges, creating
urban sprawl
. For example, Houston, Texas, is the most sprawling city in
the United States (
Figure 3.6
). It now covers about five times the area it
did in 1984. Cities grow in this pattern because land in the centre of cities
is usually already built up. It is also expensive to buy. Land on the outskirts
of cities is often agricultural or forested. Developers buy this land because
it is less expensive. They build whatever reflects the needs of the growing
urban population.
Sometimes developers build low-density settlements of one-family houses
on the outskirts of urban areas. These settlements are called
suburbs
.
Building new suburbs increases urban sprawl. You will learn more about
the impacts of urban sprawl on the environment in the next section.
Many people choose to live in suburbs even if they work in the city centre.
They can drive or take public transportation from their home to work, but they
can live where there is less noise, more privacy, and more open space. Houses
in suburbs are often less expensive than houses of the same size in the city.
COMPACT CITIES
Some cities grow in population but do not have enough land to expand
outward. Instead, they become more compact. They may have more high-
rise buildings and more people living and working in a small area. They have
higher population densities. For example, Dhaka, Bangladesh, is the most
dense city in the world. Dhaka has between 12 000 and 45 000 people per
km
2
. By comparison, Toronto, Ontario’s population
density is about 945 people per km
2
.
urban sprawl the expansion
of a city into previously
undeveloped areas
suburb a low-density
settlement, near a larger
urban area, mostly made up
of single-family houses
FIGURE 3.6
Houston, Texas, is the
least dense, most car-dependent,
and most sprawling city in the
United States.
I wonder how higher gas
prices will affect Houston
in the future?