Growing Cities - Coursework Example

Growing cities Introduction According to the human settlements sector review, the is a wide and permanent human settlement with an administrative status. It is characterized by systems such as housing, utilities, transportation, land usage and sanitation. Cities have a concentrated development plan which offer opportunities and facilities of interaction between individuals and businesses, benefiting both in the process (Kemp & Carl 83). A large city has associated exurbs and suburbs and is usually associated with urban areas and metropolitan areas, creating many businesses where individuals travel or move to urban centers for employment (Hamilton & Patricia 10). Cities in some cases expand and grow large to join or reach others; this is deemed as megalopolis or conurbation. Although the rise of cities cannot be related to any factor and there is no evidence, theorists believe that suitable factors and pre-conditions might most likely have been the force behind. Emergence of cities and their expansion Convectional views hold that the emergence of cities happened later after the Neolithic period. It is because the Neolithic period brought about Agriculture which led to concentrated human population which in turn translated to the development of cities (Engels 22). With the discovery of farming, hunter-gatherer communities abandoned their nomadic form of living and settle near those who survived by agriculture. It in turn obviously increased population density and the food production increased. Paul Bairoch the author of “Cities and Economic Development” holds the view that before the City can emerge and rise, agricultural activities is a must. Vere Gordon Childe also argued that, for any settlement to qualify as a city, there must be enough raw materials for trade and a relatively large population. In some cases, people confuse small cities with large towns. A town when we look from a political point of view achieves its goals through informal decisions between neighbors or with the governing of a chief while the city, on the other hand, has professional administrators, set out regulation and a system of taxation to pay the civil servants. The leadership may also be based on religion, heredity, military power, food distribution, agriculture, land ownership, manufacturing and finance among other combinations. Societies that reside in cities are called civilizations. Around 1800 A.D, London is the only city that existed in the world. With an estimated population of about 1 million people (Haggett 974). At the onset of this century that is about 100 million years ago, there were only three cities with an estimated population of about 1 million inhabitants each. However, today, there are more than 280 established cities with a population of each above 1 million people. It explains that, over the last years, cities have been developing and expanding rapidly. Cities have grown as a result of rural-urban migration, natural increase and economic growth (Satterthwaite 3). Some exceptions to this generalization do exist because some cities are started by the government who are in a quest to reduce the population of other large cities. These cities are at times made the capital of the country, for example, Yamoussoukro that took the place of Abidjan as the capital city of Cote dIvore. The formation of new capital means the transfer of government offices, businesses and foreign embassies to a smaller city which results in attraction of people from the over-burdened and over-crowded cities. According to a report by the National Congress of Brazil’s Landless movement, the government created another capital city (Brasilia) in Brazil due to overpopulation. The rapid growth of cities is not always good for the general population. The movement of people to cities is based on their own reasons for instance in search of employment. When the citys economy is doing well, it attracts people from every corner of that country. There is a promise of not only jobs, but also comfort, glitter and glamour which represents the "pull factors" while, on the other hand, there is drought or rural poverty that represents the "push factors" that move people out of their current residence to the city. City promises, however, are sometimes not always fulfilled. Cities may grow rapidly and develop a reputation for their bright lights, but not all people who are born in the city or move to the city get to benefit from it. It is because, in most instances, cities cannot always keep up with the increased population and thus poverty and homelessness continue to dwindle the city. The case of China Urbanization in the Republic of China increased immensely after the initiation of the reform and opening policy. It represents one of the countries whose cities have rapidly grown. According to Campanella’s Chinas urban revolution and what it means to the world (14) publication, by the end of 2012, the mainland alone had a total urban population of 712 million people who were roughly 52% of the country’s total population. China faces increasing urbanization in the long term and estimates from researchers indicate that over 70% of Chinas population will reside in urban centers by the year 2035. Campanella continues to explain that the government is putting in place measure to develop more than 20,000 skyscrapers and nearly 200 cities will require massive transit of people by 2025. The increase in population and rapid growth of cities (urbanization) were as a result of surplus produce from Chinas agricultural sector that is pastoral dependency and farming (cause of rapid expansion of most cities). China has redefined the meaning of Joseph Schumpeters quote "creative destruction" surpassing all other nation in not only technology, but also in the construction field. Chinas urban revolution can in no way be compared to the Western or even global experience. The force behind Chinas rapid expansion and urban revolution is the immense growth in Chinese economy especially over the last 30 years. Effects city expansion has on occupational distribution and manufacturing sector Occupational distribution in China has increased continually over the last 20 years with the rise in Chinas economy and the establishment of millions of private sectors has created many employment opportunities and not only Chinese citizen’s benefit but people from different parts of the word migrate to the country (Dutta, Soumitra & Mia 23). The distribution has been wide especially in the construction sector, where architects and masons have had the opportunity to deliver their expertise. The increased economy has to translate to an increase in wages overall but due to the high cost of living the earning are more often eroded by acquisition of basic needs (Dowall 36). There is also disparity in an industrial sector and geographical regions and between ordinary workers and top executives that widen the rich-poor gap (mentioned earlier). In the manufacturing sector, Chinese manufacturers have the capability to undercut prices posed by foreign competitors over many commodities. Present day, resulting to what consumers call “China price,” Campanella explains that the country has amassed more than 70% of the global market share for toys and more than 50% for bicycles, shoes and cameras (17). China has established positions in the marketing world also due to its furniture products. The growth in Chinas manufacturing sector and the low price for its products have affected relative costs in those countries that are not as developed economically as China, but engage in manufacturing activities may be forced to lower their price to gain customers that in most cases results, in no profits or even losses in these other countries. On the other hand, manufactured products from China, which is among the highest exporting nation, leads to increased profits and, as a result the country experiences a further economic push (East Asia Industrializing Economies 98). It causes further development and emergence of new cities and people later migrate in such of better living standards. Merits and demerits of city expansion The rapid expansion of cities has its own demerits such as congestion, increased cases of insecurity and infections which bring about the need to control this unwanted expansion (Marmot & Wilkinson 8). In order to regulate excess migration of people into urban cities for instance the case of china, there is the necessity to implement policies that will in the long run reduce urban migration and thus decrease the rate of rapid expansion. A vast number of individuals in these cities are threatened by problems such as violence, homelessness and health hazards among other challenges. These people are also at risk of pollution from cars and industries which result in increased cases of illness especially respiratory infections. The problem of violence or rather insecurity may exist because of poverty and wages that do not support the high cost of living causes an increase in theft. These problems often come as a result of bad policies and poor income where there are myriad people with low income and few individuals with low wages. With the success of China, economists argue that due to the high expansion of cities in which undoubtedly attracts massive population growth, rising unemployment and unchecked degradation with the overdependence on foreign oil are among issues that threaten to derail China’s growth goal. Dick Wilson in his book (Where China Stands Now ) suggests that “what is more threatening to Chinas internal growth is the increasing gap between having and have-nots both in the cities and between regions” (4). However, several advantages do exist such as the availability of resources such as hospitals in the Cities. Government facilities such as museums and theaters are not far from reach. There is also the advantage of increased learning institutions and one can enroll in which he or she prefers. Cities such as China are characterized by good transport and communication means which ensures first progress of economy. Solutions to control over expansion In China, the government has established measure to regulate the number of children a couple is supposed to have (Zhu & Zhongyi 48). Societies should employ strategies to create awareness among its citizens on the effects of overpopulation. Cities should offer education among the residing individuals on measures in birth control. Egypt is a good example of a nation that has announced to use family planning education to reduce its overpopulation. In conclusion, in my own perspective from studies, the major reason people migrate to urban centers and result to expansion of these cities is the quest for employment. It is because the government concentrates most activities such as investments in cities limiting the distribution of employment to other regions. Therefore, to avoid unnecessary over-expansion and overpopulation of cities, as a solution, the government should ensure fair distribution of developments and resources which will in turn provide employment opportunities to people in these areas and thus prevent their migration to cities. Work cited Brunn, Stanley D, Maureen Hays-Mitchell, and Donald J. Zeigler. Cities of the World: World Regional Urban Development. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc, 2012. Print. Engels, Friedrich, and Ernest Untermann. The Origin of the Family Private Property and the State. Chicago: C.H. Kerr, 2001. Print. Haggett, Peter. Encyclopedia of World Geography. New York: Marshall Cavendish, 2002. Print. Hamilton, David K, and Patricia S. Atkins. Urban and Regional Policies for Metropolitan Livability. Armonk, N.Y: M.E. Sharpe, 2008. Internet resource. Kemp, Roger L, and Carl J. Stephani. Global Models of Urban Planning: Best Practices Outside the United States. , 2014. Print. Kromer, John. Fixing Broken Cities: The Implementation of Urban Development Strategies. New York: Routledge, 2010. Print. Marmot, Michael, and Richard Wilkinson. The Solid Facts: Social Determinants of Health. Copenhagen: WHO Regional Office for Europe, 1998. Print. Morrison, Peter A. Urban Growth, New Cities, and "the Population Problem." Santa Monica, Calif.: Rand Corp, 1970. Print. Satterthwaite, David. The Transition to a Predominantly Urban World and Its Underpinnings. London: International Institute for Environment and Development IIED, 2007. Print. Suzuki, Hiroaki, Robert Cervero, and Kanako Iuchi. Transforming Cities with Transit: Transit and Land-Use Integration for Sustainable Urban Development. Washington, D.C: World Bank, 2013. Print. Zhu, Ling, and Zhongyi Zhongyi. Public Works and Poverty Alleviation in Rural China. New York, NY: Nova Science Publ, 1996. Print. Dutta, Soumitra, and Irene Mia. The Global Information Technology Report: 2008-2009: Mobility in a Networked World. Geneva: World Economic Forum, 2009. Internet resource. Dowall, David E. The Land Market Assessment: A New Tool for Urban Management. Washington, DC: World Bank, 1995. Print. Read More