Megacities: definitions, growth patterns and challenges

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Megacities:

Define (definition of megacity, particular characteristics, etc)

Patterns of change (why cities go from normal to megacities, how these fluctuate over time)

Challenges or problems

Solutions - substantial examples from particular (Mumbai - India; Manila, Phillipines, NGO's, international agencies and communities dealing with housing poverty, transport, infrastructure, pollution, etc)

Nature, character, spatial distribution of mega cities in the Developing World:

Challenges in living

Evaluate responses to these challenges

Evaluate the role of community based groups, NGO's in addressing challenges

Rural --> Urban (moving for jobs, facilities, education, etc)

North --> South (North = North america and Europe, Australia (Developed), South = South America, Africa (more developing))

Formal Sector --> Informal Sector (Formal (governed by state, normal wages, succumb to taxes etc & Informal Sector (street markets, vendors, not taxed etc))

City --> Mega-cities (Many cities are becoming megacities, due to increased population, need for more infrastructure, jobs, etc)

Megacities defined as a metropolitan area with a total population in excess of 10 million people

Relevant Link:

http://www.emrponline.eu/call2013/docs/MegaCities.pdf

Megacities growing the fasted in the most developing countries

Least developed (economic) countries

World Urban Population:

1800 - 3% in urban (cities)

1950 - 83 cities with populations exceeding 1 million

2007 --> 468 agglomerations of more than 1 million

Worlds urban population will double every 38 years

UN - Urban 3.2B to 5 Billion in 2030 (3/5) in cities

Urbanisation: Urbanisation describes the increasing proportion of people living in urban areas (towns and cities) as opposed to rural areas (villages and country side)

Rural urban migration

Population increase

Over urbanisation: More residents than the cities can support. Often as a result of rural-urban migration.

Large scale labour-intensive manufacturing business with low paid workforce

Over ruralisation:

More people than the rural areas can support. As a result rapid population growth, acquisition of land by agribusiness corporations and export orientated cash crops

Spatial Pattern:

In rome 1st century BC Rome - 1 million people

742 CE - Kaifeng 2 million

1900 London 5 million

in 1950 there was one megacity, New York 10 million

1975 - there were four megacities - Tokyo, New York, Shanghai, Mexico City, Sao Paulo in the developing world

In 1995 there were 14 megacities

2001 17 megacities with 13 in the developing world

2015 there will be 23 megacities, 18 in developing world

Greatest growth in Asia and Africa

Statistics:

In 2006, Asia has 1.14 billion urban residents. This figure includes China, with 485m urban residents, and India with 325m

Within a few years, half the world's population will be urban. The urban population of 3.2b in 2007, will be larger than the entire global population in 1967, 40 years later

Cities and urban areas are gaining an estimated 60 million people per year