Howdy Urbanization? Everything We Must Know !

Table of Contents

What is Urbanization?

Urbanization is the progression of society’s conversion from a largely rural to a primarily urban population.
It simply means, increase in number of people living in the urban areas.
‘Urbanization is a complex socio-economic process that transforms the built environment, converting formerly rural into urban settlements, while also shifting the spatial distribution of a population from rural to urban areas’ (World’s Urbanization Prospects, 2018).
Urbanization includes changes in occupation, lifestyle, culture and behavior of the people.
Urbanization is closely linked to modernization and industrialization.
Urbanization mainly refers to:
- growth in the number of people residing in urban settlements, and
- associated growth in the number of urban dwellers, in the size of cities and total area occupied by urban settlements
According to the projections made by United Nations, the rural population has stopped growing while the urban population is growing at a rapid rate. There will be additional 1.5 billion urban residents in next 15 years and 3 billion by 2050 (UNFPA, 2016).

Key Facts About Urbanization:

According to World Urbanization Prospects, 2018:

Globally, 55% of the world’s population are living in urban areas compared to 45% in the rural areas.
In 1950, only 30% of the world’s population were urban. However, it is projected that 68% of the world’s population will be urban by 2050.
The global urban population has rose from 751 million in 1950 to 4.2 billion in 2018.
The global rural population is close to 3.4 billion in 2018 and will decline to 3.1 billion by 2050.
Only India, China and Nigeria are together expected to be responsible for 35% growth in world’s urban population by 2050.

Urban and Rural Population of The World 1950-2050:

Source: United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2018a). World Urbanization Prospects 2018.

Globally, Which Region is Most Urbanized?

Here are the list of most urbanized regions in the world, ranking North America as the most urbanized and Africa as the least urbanized region till date (2018).

North America: 82% people living in urban areas
Latin America and the Carribean: 81% people living in urban areas
Oceania: 68% people living in urban areas
Asia: 50% people living in urban areas
Africa: 43% people living in urban areas

Factors Contributing to Increasing Urbanization:

a) Push factors like;

Lack of job opportunities
Poor living conditions and poverty
Poor health care
Limited educational and economic opportunities
Social and environmental vulnerability
Political unrest and instability
Natural calamities and disasters
Man-made calamities like wars etc.

b) Pull factors like;

Attractive economic benefits
Better social mobilization
Better empowerment opportunities in urban areas
Better access to education and health services, including sexual and reproductive health care
Peace, safety and security
Better access to ETC. i.e. Education, Transportation & Communication
Social factors, attractive living environment and lifestyles

c) Other factors:

Natural population growth

Effects of Urbanization on Human Health:

Spread of several infectious diseases.
Unemployment
Severe shortage of housing, clean water and sanitation
Social effects: poverty, alcoholism, drugs, crime, violence, psychological problems
Amplified mortality and morbidity
Poor health care provision and facilities

Measures to Prevent Uncontrolled Urbanization:

Constructing sustainable and environmentally friendly cities
Establishment of essential services rural areas as well
Creation of additional employments
Population control
Improve urban living conditions
Advance urban making arrangements for sound practices and well-being
Combat poverty by encouraging economic improvement and job establishment
Decrease air pollution by promoting energy use and alternative transport schemes
Form private-public partnerships to deliver facilities like waste dumping and accommodation
Plant trees and integrate the maintenance of city green spaces as a crucial component in urban development.

Advantages of Urbanization:

Development in industrial manufactures which aids the economic progress of the nation.
Innovation, development and progress in business, science, industry and technology.
Export growth and these forest reserve escalations.
Cheaper goods and services
Opportunities for sustainable growth and development
Progress in tourism trades: People from foreign nations are appealed to good capitals and settlements having improved transport services.
Upgrading science, culture, etc.

Limitations of Urbanization:

Unmanaged urbanization rises intensification to housing difficulty causing increase in sub-standard housing and slum areas.
Decreased agricultural production due to limited human resources for vast area of rural agricultural land
Extreme poverty and exclusion
Vulnerability and marginalization
Rise and threat to different sorts of environmental pollution like water pollution, air pollution, soil pollution, land pollution etc.
Increased environmental contamination and health threats
Increase in criminal activities and crime rates due to unemployment and food insecurity