IDSA01 Introduction to International Development
Chapter 19—Urban Development: Cities and Slums in the Global South
the world’s urban population is growing at a faster rate than the total population of the planet where
cities play an important role in shaping possibilities for human development and economic well-being
urban consumption patterns are usually unsustainable, cities are large consumers of water and energy
resources and produce greenhouse gas emission, and industrial and residential waste; dependent on
rural areas but often expand and consume agricultural land
Understanding Urbanization
urbanization is the transformation over time of a rural society into a urban one, has modified and
continues to modify the spatial distribution of the population globally
elements of a city: a politically and administratively defined territory, a relatively high size and
density of the population, the presence of a division of labour and functional diversity, social
organization based on complex and varied interactions—is a center for economic activities and a
living environment that houses a differentiated society
development and sustainability challenges associated with urbanism:
location, pace and scale underway are unprecedented in history
associates with a new geography of economic activity, political alliances and socio-economic
outcomes in which distinctive forms of urban development, polarization, instability and
environmental stress are emerging
are major resource users and producers of wealth
capacity, resources and political will to address urban, development and environmental problems are
often lacking
Urbanization Across Time and Space
urbanization and a spatial concentration has prompted humans to create new technologies and new
political institutions and practices, leading to innovative solutions to urban problems
the history of cities in developing countries is marked by colonization, which has contributed to an
acceleration of urbanization and the structuring of cities around colonial relations
urbanization can also be favoured by natural and political factors and public policies
Urbanization and Development: Not a Simple Equation
the relationship between economic activity and urbanization is not mechanical or deterministic,
considering restructuring economic activities and the advent of information and communication
technologies
the term ‘urban crisis’ is used to denote the contradictory effects of urban population growth: fueled by
individuals who hope for a better life, such growth has a social economic, ecological effects that weaken
cities’ potential as places to live
urban growth has brought a sharp rise in urban poverty and these poor populations are the most
vulnerable to impacts of climate change
some experts adopt a Maltusian approach and see population growth as the main cause of the urban
crisis while others argue that the current crisis is a result of the capitalism system
Cities, Globalization, and Socio-Spatial Fragmentation
four trends are apparent in the phase of globalization:
a rise in new types of cities that play an important role coordinating roles in global economy
world cities that serve major international functions, co-ordinating worldwide business networks
and thereby exerting organizational and directional power
new spatial tendencies of fragmentation, fracturing, and polarization within globalized cities
metropolitans in the Global South part of this network of metropolitan areas that concentrate
power and economic and financial flows are marked by the presence of an affluent class that is
part of the international elite and whose lifestyles and consumption patters resemble those of
other major urban cities parallel rise in inequality, poverty and vulnerability
the poorly housed co-existing with those residents in luxury condos; the destruction of older,
modest and working class neighborhoods to allo
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