Urbanisation and Rural Change
This domain examines urban growth, urban land use and the changes taking place in rural areas. It tests definitions and the ability to interpret models and simple data.
Core rules and concepts
- Urbanisation is the rising proportion of a population living in towns and cities. Urban growth is an absolute increase in urban population. They often occur together but are not the same.
- Urban growth is driven by rural–urban migration, natural increase and reclassification of settlements.
- Land-use models include Burgess's concentric zone model, Hoyt's sector model and the multiple nuclei model. The CBD has high land values, accessibility and vertical development.
- Urban challenges include housing shortages, informal settlements, traffic congestion, waste and inadequate sanitation.
- Counterurbanisation is movement from cities to smaller settlements. Rural change includes diversification away from farming, commuter villages and land-use conflict.
Worked example
A country has a total population of 12 million, of whom 7.2 million are urban. Urbanisation = 7.2/12 × 100 = 60%. If urban population rises to 8.4 million and total population to 13 million, the new level is 8.4/13 × 100 = 64.6%, a rise of 4.6 percentage points. Reasoning: compare proportions, not absolute numbers alone.
Traps
Do not use 'urbanisation' for absolute urban growth. Do not assume all cities follow the same land-use model. Distinguish percentage points from percent change. Do not treat rural areas as unchanging; they experience migration, diversification and service decline.