UNIT 6

URBANIZATION

Urbanization is a process whereby populations move from rural to

urban area, enabling cities and towns to grow. It can also be termed as
the progressive increase of the number of people living in towns and
cities. It is highly influenced by the notion that cities and towns have
achieved better economic, political, and social mileages compared to the
rural areas.

Accordingly, urbanization is very common in developing and developed

worlds as more and more people have the tendency of moving closer to
towns and cities to acquire “privileged” social and economic services as well
as benefits. These include social and economic advantages such as better
education, health care, sanitation, housing, business opportunities, and
transportation.

Majority of people move to cities and towns because they view rural areas as
places with hardship and backward/primitive lifestyle. Therefore, as
populations move to more developed areas (towns and cities) the immediate
outcome is urbanization. This normally contributes to the development of
land for use in commercial properties, social and economic support
institutions, transportation, and residential buildings. Eventually, these
activities raise several urbanization issues.

Causes of Urbanization

1. Industrialization

Industrialization is a trend representing a shift from the old agricultural

economics to novel non-agricultural economy, which creates a modernized
society. Through industrial revolution, more people have been attracted to
move from rural to urban areas on the account of improved employment
opportunities. Industrialization has increased employment opportunities by
giving people the chance to work in modern sectors in job categories that
aids to stir economic developments.

2. Commercialization

Commerce and trade play a major role in urbanization. The distribution of

goods and services and commercial transactions in the modern era has
developed modern marketing institutions and exchange methods that have

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tremendously given rise to the growth of towns and cities.
Commercialization and trade comes with the general perception that the
towns and cities offer better commercial opportunities and returns
compared to the rural areas.

3. Social benefits and services

There are numerous social benefits attributed to life in the cities and towns.
Examples include better educational facilities, better living standards, better
sanitation and housing, better health care, better recreation facilities, and
better social life in general. On this account, more and more people are
prompted to migrate into cities and towns to obtain the wide variety of social
benefits and services which are unavailable in the rural areas.

4. Employment opportunities

In cities and towns, there are ample job opportunities that continually draw
people from the rural areas to seek better livelihood. Therefore, the majority
of people frequently migrate into urban areas to access well paying jobs as
urban areas have countless employment opportunities in all developmental
sectors such as public health, education, transport, sports and recreation,
industries, and business enterprises. Services and industries generate and
increase higher value-added jobs, and this leads to more employment
opportunities.

5. Modernization and changes in the mode of living

Modernization plays a very important role in the process of urbanization. As

urban areas become more technology savvy together with highly
sophisticated communication, infrastructure, medical facilities, dressing
code, enlightenment, liberalization, and other social amenities availability,
people believe they can lead a happy life in cities. In urban areas, people
also embrace changes in the modes of living namely residential habits,
attitudes, dressing, food, and beliefs. As a result, people migrate to cities
and the cities grow by absorbing the growing number of people day after
day.

6. Rural urban transformation

As localities become more fruitful and prosperous due to the discovery of

minerals, resource exploitation, or agricultural activities, cities start
emerging as the rural areas transform to urbanism. The increase in
productivity leads to economic growth and higher value-added employment
opportunities.

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This brings about the need to develop better infrastructure, better education
institutions, better health facilities, better transportation networks,
establishment of banking institutions, better governance, and better
housing. As this takes place, rural communities start to adopt the urban
culture and ultimately become urban centers that continue to grow as more
people move to such locations in search of a better life.

Effects of Urbanization

1. Positive effects of urbanization

Urbanization yields several positive effects if it happens within the

appropriate limits. Some of the positive implications of urbanization
therefore include creation of employment opportunities, technological and
infrastructural advancements, improved transportation and communication,
quality educational and medical facilities, and improved standards of living.
However, extensive urbanization mostly results in adverse effects. Below
listed points are few of them.

2. Housing problems

Urbanization attracts people to cities and towns which lead to high

population increase. With the increase in the number of people living in
urban centers, there is continued scarcity of houses. This is due to
insufficient expansion space for housing and public utilities, poverty,
unemployment, and costly building materials which can only be afforded by
few individuals. According to Habitat for Humanity, housing deficit stands at
2.4 million units; 210,000 units are in urban areas and 1.395 million in
rural areas. Uganda more than 3 million units annually.

3. Overcrowding

Overcrowding is a situation whereby a huge number of people live in a small

space. This form of congestion in urban areas is consistent because of
overpopulation and it is an aspect that increases day by day as more people
and immigrants move into cities and towns in search of better life. Most
people from rural or undeveloped areas always have the urge of migrating
into the city that normally leads to congestion of people within a small area.

4. Unemployment

The problem of joblessness is highest in urban areas and it is even higher

among the educated people. It is estimated that more than half of
unemployed youths around the globe live in metropolitan cities. And, as

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much as income in urban areas is high, the costs of living make the incomes
to seem horribly low. The increasing relocation of people from rural or
developing areas to urban areas is the leading cause of urban
unemployment.

5. Development of slums

The cost of living in urban areas is very high. When this is combined with
random and unexpected growth as well as unemployment, there is the
spread of unlawful resident settlements represented by slums and
squatters. The growth of slums and squatters in urban areas is even further
exacerbated by fast-paced industrialization, lack of developed land for
housing, large influx of rural immigrants to the cities in search of better life,
and the elevated prices of land beyond the reach of the urban poor.

6. Water and sanitation problems

Because of overpopulation and rapid population increase in most urban

centers, it is common to find there are inadequate sewage facilities.
Municipalities and local governments are faced with serious resource crisis
in the management of sewage facilities. As a result, sanitation becomes poor
and sewages flow chaotically, and they are drained into neighboring
streams, rivers, lakes, or seas. Eventually, communicable diseases such as
typhoid, dysentery, plague, and diarrhea spread very fast leading to
suffering and even deaths. Overcrowding also highly contributes to water
scarcity as supply falls short of demand.

7. Poor health and spread of diseases

The social, economic and living conditions in congested urban areas affects
access and utilization of public health care services. Slum areas in
particular experience poor sanitation and insufficient water supply which
generally make slum populations susceptible to communicable diseases.
The environmental problems such as urban pollution also cause many
health problems namely allergies, asthma, infertility, food poisoning, cancer
and even premature deaths.

8. Traffic congestion

When more people move to towns and cities, one of the major challenges
posed is in the transport system. More people means increased number of
vehicles which leads to traffic congestion and vehicular pollution. Many
people in urban areas drive to work and this creates a severe traffic
problem, especially during the rush hours. Also as the cities grow in

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dimension, people will move to shop and access other social needs/wants
which often cause traffic congestion and blockage.

9. Urban crime

Issues of lack of resources, overcrowding, unemployment, poverty, and lack

of social services and education habitually leads to many social problems
including violence, drug abuse, and crime. Most of the crimes such as
murder, rape, kidnapping, riots, assault, theft, robbery, and hijacking are
reported to be more prominent in the urban vicinities. Besides, poverty
related crimes are the highest in fast-growing urban regions. These acts of
urban crime normally upset the peace and tranquility of cities/towns.

IMPACT OF URBANIZATION ON ENVIRONMENT

The most emerging issues are climate changes, freshwater scarcity,

deforestation, and fresh water pollution and population growth. These
problems are very complex and their interactions are hard to define.
However the following are the likely effects of urbanization on components of
the environment;

1. The creation of heat island: Materials like concrete, bricks etc absorb
and reflect energy differently than vegetation and soil. Cities remain
warm in the night when the countryside has already cooled. An urban
heat island (UHI) is a city or metropolitan area that is significantly
warmer than its surrounding rural areas due to human activities. The
temperature difference usually is larger at night than during the day, and
is most apparent when winds are weak. UHI is most noticeable during
the summer and winter. The main cause of the urban heat island effect is
from the modification of land surfaces. Waste heat generated by energy
usage is a secondary contributor. As a population centre grows, it tends
to expand its area and increase its average temperature.
2. Changes in Air Quality: Human activities release a wide range of
emissions into the environment including carbon dioxide, carbon
monoxide, ozone, sulfuroxides, nitrogen oxides, lead, and many other
pollutants. In many cities the air is already so polluted that it has been
causing illnesses and premature deaths among elderly people and
children. Studies show that disease rate rises when the air pollution level
increases
3. Changes in Patterns of Precipitation: Cities often receive more rain
than the surrounding countryside since dust can provoke the
condensation of water vapor into rain droplets. Air pollutants are also

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 harmful for water and environment, for example, by causing acid
precipitation and acidity of waters.
4. Erosion and other changes in land quality: Rapid development can
result in very high levels of erosion and sedimentation in river channels.
5. Pollution of soils: Pollutants are often dispersed across cities or
concentrated in industrial areas or waste sites. Lead- based paint used
on roads and highways and on buildings is one such example of a widely
dispersed pollutant that finds its way into soil. Burying tremendous
amounts of waste in the ground at municipal and industrial dumps also
leads into pollution.
6. Flow of Water into Streams: Natural vegetation and undisturbed soil
are replaced with concrete, asphalt, brick, and other impermeable
surfaces. This means that, when it rains, water is less likely to be
absorbed into the ground and, instead, flows directly into river channels
and yet this water usually carries with it enormous amount of pollutants
and chemicals which dangerous to aquatic life. Higher, faster peak flows
also change streams channels that have evolved over centuries under
natural conditions. Flooding can be a major problem as cities grow and
stream channels attempt to keep up with these changes.
7. Degraded Water Quality: The water quality has degraded with time due
to urbanization that ultimately leads to increased sedimentation there by
also increasing the pollutant in run-off.
8. Modification and destruction Habitats: The fertilizers that spread
across lawns finds its way into water channels where it promotes the
growth of plants at the expense of fish. The waste dumped into streams
lowers oxygen levels during its decay and cause the die-off of plants and
animals. There is also complete eradication of habitats as an outcome of
urbanization and native species are pushed out of cities.
9. Creation of New Habitats: New habitats are also created for some
native and non-native species. Cities also create habitats for some
species considered pests, such as pigeons, sparrows, rats, mice, flies and
mosquitoes. Urbanization has, for example, eliminated many bat colonies
in caves, but has provided sites such as bridges for these species to nest.