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KEY TERMS
KEY TERMS
conurbation
an extended urban area that is made up of several towns combining with the suburbs of one or more cities.
infrastructure
the basic systems and services, such as transport and power supplies that a country uses in order to work effectively.
liveability
an assessment of what a place is like to live in, using particular criteria such as environmental quality, safety, access to shops and services and cultural activities.
urban settlements
distinct areas where people live and work.
urban sprawl
the outward spread of a city and its suburbs as they grow
INTRODUCTION: URBAN SETTLEMENTS
INTRODUCTION: URBAN SETTLEMENTS
What does the view from space tell us about patterns of urban settlement?
Urban concentration can vary in size from a small town to a large metropolis
with millions of inhabitants.
The following diagram illustrates the different types of urban settlements from smallest to largest.
ACTIVITY 1: URBANISATION IN THE USA AND AUSTRALIA
ACTIVITY 1: URBANISATION IN THE USA AND AUSTRALIA
Both the United States and Australia are very large countries that are highly urbanised. In fact, both are among the world’s most urbanised nations.
australia
australia
Most of Australia’s population is concentrated in two widely separated coastal regions – the southeast and east, and the southwest. Of the two regions, the
southeast and east is by far the largest in
area and population.
Australian cities have always been home to a large percentage of the population. In Australia nearly one-third of the population is settled in and around capital cities.
According to World Bank data, Australia is today one of the most heavily urbanised countries in the world, with nearly 90% of the population living in urban areas.
United states
United states
The concentration of urban settlements in the United States is a lot more evenly distributed than in Australia.
When the United States was first colonised by Europeans, the first part of the country to be heavily urbanised was the eastern coastline. Due to the large number of new settlers and immigrants, people started to follow the waterways and rivers inland and began moving westward. Subsequently, there are many large urban areas spread out all over the United States of America, not just along the coastline (like Australia).
The United States and Australia have some similarities and some differences in terms of how urbanised they are.
There are factors that influence URBAN CONCENTRATION in Australia and the United States.
These include:
1. climate and topography,
2. transportation networks, and
3. perceptions of liveability.
CAUSES OF URBANISATION
The causes of urbanisation are similar for both Australia and the United States:
fewer people were needed to work in rural areas as technology reduced the demand for labour on farms
more jobs and opportunities were available in factories, which were located in urban areas
the development of railways allowed goods produced in one city to be transported to rural and urban areas
cities developed due to new technologies, infrastructure and utilities (for example, electricity and water supply).
CONSEQUENCES OF URBANISATION
CONURBATION
Sometimes there are so many cities in a particular region that they seem to merge almost into one city as they expand. A conurbation is made up of cities that have grown and merged to form one continuous urban area. Both the United States and, to a lesser extent, Australia have conurbations.
HOMELESSNESS
It has been estimated that there are more than 650 000 homeless people (living on the streets or in temporary shelters) in the United States and around 105 000 homeless people in Australia. One reason for this is that urban housing projects do not provide affordable housing for the poor.
In the United States, it has been estimated that 71 per cent of homeless people reside in cities, 21 per cent are in suburbs and only 9 per cent are in rural areas.
HEALTH ISSUES
High population densities in urban areas make it easier for diseases to be transmitted, especially in poor neighborhoods. The urban poor suffer health issues caused by reduced access to sanitation and hygiene facilities and health care.
POLLUTION
Air pollution from cars, industry and heating affects people who live in cities. A study in the United States showed that more than 3800 people die prematurely in the Los Angeles Basin and San Joaquin Valley region of Southern California because of air pollution. Generally, Australia has a fairly high level of air quality. Cars and industry are the main factors influencing air quality in urban areas.
LAND USE CHANGES
In Australia urban areas were settled where the land was flat, the water and soil were good and the climate was temperate — in other words, where good farmland is located. When cities spread, the sprawl takes over arable land (land able to be farmed for crops). Urban sprawl has long-term effects, as it is very difficult to bring the soil back to its former state once the predominant land use has been for buildings.
EXAMINE the sources above.
COMPLETE the following table in your workbook.
ACTIVITY 2: WHY AMERICANS LIVE WHERE THEY DO
ACTIVITY 2: WHY AMERICANS LIVE WHERE THEY DO
2.3 Why do Americans live where they do.pdfREAD: Why Americans Live Where They Do
COMPLETE the following questions:
P - E - E - L paragraph
Explain how the landscape and climate of the United States have influenced the location of urban settlements.Compare the climate data for Las Vegas and Miami. Identify and describe the similarities and differences between them.
Why do you think the climates of Miami and Las Vegas are so different.
ACTIVITY 3: ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINT
ACTIVITY 3: ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINT
Humans use as much ecological resources as if we lived on 1.7 Earths. The Ecological Footprint is the only metric that compares the resource demand of individuals, governments, and businesses against Earth's capacity for biological regeneration.
The amount of productive land needed on average by each person (in the world or in a country, city or suburb, for example) for food, water, transport, housing and waste management is known as an ecological footprint. It is measured in hectares per person per year. The average global ecological footprint is 2.7; Australia has an average ecological footprint of 6.84. The country with the highest ecological footprint is the UAE with 10.68.
COMPLETE the following questions:
What is meant by the term ecological footprint?
What Australian city has the highest ecological footprint per person/per year? Suggest reasons why this is the case.
COMPLETE the following task:
Use the link below to find your own ecological footprint.
How does your ecological footprint compare to Australia's cities?
COMPLETE the following task:
CREATE a table to compare the total ecological footprint of (5) countries.
How do the results compare to Australia?
Provide suggestions on how countries can reduce their ecological footprint.
ACTIVITY 4: GLOBAL LIVEABILITY INDEX - REPORT 2021
ACTIVITY 4: GLOBAL LIVEABILITY INDEX - REPORT 2021
The Liveability Index examines 140 cities worldwide to quantify the challenges presented to an individual’s lifestyle in the past year, for the first time taking into account this disrupting global event.
Each city is assigned a liveability score for more than 30 qualitative and quantitative factors across five categories: stability, healthcare, culture and environment, education and infrastructure.
Data for this survey was collected from February 22nd to March 21st 2021.
Key findings include the following:
The overall global average liveability score has fallen by seven points, as compared with the average pre-pandemic score. The extent to which cities were sheltered by strong border closures, their ability to handle the health crisis and the pace at which they rolled out vaccination campaigns drove significant changes in the rankings.
Auckland, in New Zealand, is at the top of The Economist Intelligence Unit’s Liveability rankings, owing to the city’s ability to contain the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic faster and thus lift restrictions earlier, unlike others around the world.
Six of the top ten cities in the March 2021 survey are in New Zealand or Australia, where tight border controls have allowed residents to live relatively normal lives.
Many European and Canadian cities have fallen down the rankings, having battled a second Covid-19 wave by restricting cultural and sporting events, and closing schools and restaurants.
The lower end of the rankings has seen less change, with the Syrian capital, Damascus, still the least liveable city in the world.
Healthcare scores fell after the onset of the pandemic in most cities across the world, with the least affected cities concentrated in western Europe and the Asia-Pacific region.
COMPLETE the following questions:
What are the five categories used to determine a cities liveability?
Look at the ten most liveable cities in the world, what patterns do you notice?
How has coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic impacted the liveability scores for 2021?
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