- Urbanization is the formation and spread of urban areas.
- Urbanization means that there are more people living in urban areas, such as cities.
- This is due to people moving to cities and cities expanding.
- Globally more than 50% of all people live in urban areas.
- This number is only increasing over time.
- Today urbanization is the fastest in developing countries.
- The most urban areas are called Megacities, which have more than 10 million people living in them.
- There are about 30 megacities worldwide, the largest of which is Tokyo.
Segregation
- Segregation is the separation of social groups to different residential areas in a city.
- Fast urbanization can lead to segregation and the formation of slums.
- For example the Brazilian favelas.
- Segregation increases inequality and can even cause conflict.
- Segregation is generally based on wealth, with rich people being in one area and poor people forced into another area.
- However, historically there have been cases of forced ethnic segregation.
- Segregation can be found worldwide, to a less extreme extent compared to specific regions.
Megapolis Areas
- Megalopolis areas have large cities that blend together due to being very close and interconnected to one another.
- Main examples are Boston and Washington, and in the "blue banana" in Western Europe.
- These areas contain very high populations.