Urbanisation Challenges Explained - GCSE Edexcel Geography B

Urbanisation and Migration Patterns

Ever wondered why your gran might remember when your town was much smaller? Urbanisation - the rise in people living in towns and cities - has been transforming countries for centuries. The UK kicked off this trend around the 1800s, jumping from mostly rural to 83% urban by 2013.

Today's most dramatic changes are happening in emerging countries like China, which went from 18% urban in 1978 to 59% now. Meanwhile, developing countries like Ethiopia (only 20% urban) are just getting started. Megacities with over 10 million people are becoming the new normal - Tokyo leads the pack with a staggering 38 million residents.

Urban primacy occurs when one city dominates everything else in a country. London's a perfect example - it's where the government sits, major businesses have their headquarters, and the best internet speeds attract international companies. This creates a snowball effect where success breeds more success.

Key Point: Migration happens due to push factors (disasters, job losses, war) that force people to leave, and pull factors (better jobs, services, entertainment) that attract them to cities.

Employment and Economic Development

Your future job prospects depend massively on where you live and your country's development level. Formal employment means official jobs where you pay taxes and get proper working conditions - basically what the government can see and regulate. Informal employment is the opposite: self-employed work that's often unregulated and potentially dangerous.

Countries at different development stages offer completely different work opportunities. In developing countries, most people work informally in primary sectors like farming or mining, often with low wages and poor conditions. Emerging countries focus heavily on manufacturing (secondary sector), offering better conditions than developing nations but still cheaper labour for international companies.

Developed countries like the UK have moved beyond manufacturing into tertiary (services) and quaternary (technology and knowledge) sectors. Nearly everyone works formally with strong rights and conditions, but this also makes labour more expensive.

Remember: The four economic sectors are primary (raw materials), secondary (manufacturing), tertiary (services), and quaternary (knowledge/tech). Your country's development level determines which sectors dominate.

Urban Change and Land Use

Cities aren't static - they go through predictable stages that explain why some areas thrive whilst others decline. Stage one is basic urbanisation as people flood in. Stage two sees suburbanisation as residents escape crowded centres for leafy suburbs, enabled by better transport links.

De-industrialisation (stage three) hits when manufacturers relocate to cheaper areas, causing unemployment and population decline. Counter-urbanisation (stage four) follows as people migrate back to rural areas, especially with remote working making city centres less essential. Finally, regeneration (stage five) attempts to revive declining urban areas.

Land use patterns make perfect sense when you consider three key factors. Accessibility means city centres get the prime spots near transport hubs. Cost decreases as you move outward - that's why houses get bigger and cheaper in suburbs. Planning regulations control what can be built where, keeping strict limits on development.

The result? Tall buildings dominate expensive city centres where space is premium, whilst sprawling developments characterise cheaper outer areas. Old inner-city areas often get converted - former terraced houses become luxury flats, whilst new business parks spring up on urban fringes.

Top Tip: Remember that land cost, accessibility, and planning rules work together to create the urban patterns you see around you every day.