urbanisation essay conclusion

Essay on Urbanization for Students and Children

500 words essay on urbanization.

Urbanization refers to the movement of the population from rural areas to urban areas. It is essentially the gradual increase in the proportion of people living in urban areas. Furthermore, urbanization is quite a popular trend in the contemporary world. Moreover, people mostly undertake urbanization due to more work opportunities and a better standard of living. According to the expert prediction, by 2050, 64% of the developing world and 86% of the developed world will be urbanized.

Causes of Urbanization

First of all, political causes play a big role in urbanization. Many people get forced to leave rural areas for urban areas due to political unrest. Therefore, many families go to urban areas in search of food, shelter, and employment .

Another important cause of urbanization is an economic cause. Furthermore, poverty is a widespread phenomenon in rural areas. Moreover, farmers are finding it very hard to earn enough money and make a living. Consequently, rural people move to urban areas in search of better job opportunities.

Education is a strong cause of urbanization. Urban areas offer opportunities for seeking high-quality education. Moreover, urbanization offers opportunities for studying at universities and technical colleges. Such handsome education opportunities attract many young people in rural areas to move to urban areas.

Environmental degradation also plays a part in contributing to urbanization. Deforestation destroys the natural habitat of many farming families. Furthermore, mining and industrial expansion also harm the natural habitat of farming families.

The social cause is another notable reason for urbanization. Many young rural people migrate to urban areas in order to seek a better lifestyle. Moreover, many young people want to escape the conservative culture of rural areas. Most noteworthy, urban areas offer a more easy-going liberal lifestyle. Furthermore, cities have clubs to attract youth.

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Benefits of Urbanization

First of all, urban areas are much more efficient in providing resources than rural areas. Important and basic amenities like housing, clean water, and electricity are easily available in urban areas.

People in urban areas find it quite easy to access to various important services. Most noteworthy, these services are high-quality education, expert health care, convenient transportation, entertainment, etc. Furthermore, some or all of the services are unavailable in rural areas.

Urban areas offer better employment opportunities. Furthermore, these employment opportunities are the result of industrialization and commercialization.

Urban areas play a critical role as creators and disseminators of knowledge. This is because of the highly connected urbanized world. Most noteworthy, the geographical proximity of people in urban areas helps in the propagation of ideas.

Urban areas enjoy the benefits of technological development. Furthermore, many types of technologies get implemented in urban areas. Moreover, urban people quickly get in touch with the latest technology. In contrast, many rural individuals remain ignorant of many types of technologies.

To sum it up, urbanization is a process which is on a continuous rise. Furthermore, urbanization ensures the transformation of rural culture into urban culture. Moreover, the government must be vigilant to the rapidly increasing urbanization. A fully urbanized world looks like the ultimate destiny of our world.

FAQs on Urbanization

Q1 State any two causes for urbanization?

A1 Any two causes for urbanization are high-quality education and good job opportunities in urban areas.

Q2 Why urban areas offer better employment opportunities?

A2 Urban areas offer better employment opportunities due to high industrialization and commercialization.

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Urbanisation Essay

500+ words urbanisation essay.

Urbanisation is an integral part of development. It is an index of transformation from traditional rural economies to modern industrial ones. The process of urbanisation started with the industrial revolution and resulted in economic development. Urban areas are an integral part of India’s development and growth. It accounts for two-thirds of India’s GDP. India’s urban population has increased rapidly over the past decade and this rapid urbanisation is set to continue in the future. This urbanisation essay discusses the opportunities that urban areas have and the major challenges faced by them. So, students must go through this essay to gather the information and then try to write the essay in their own words. They can also get the list of CBSE Essays on different topics to practise essays on various topics.

Meaning of Urbanisation

When people move from village or rural areas to towns/cities or urban areas for better job opportunities where they can get involved in non-agricultural occupations such as manufacturing industry, trade, management etc. is known as urbanisation. People mainly migrate to cities in search of jobs, new opportunities and to have a better lifestyle.

Urbanisation in India – History and Present Situation

Urbanisation in India is said to have begun somewhere around 600 B.C. culminating in the formation of early historical cities. During ancient and medieval periods of Indian history, the kings established various capital regions, which developed into towns. For example, Pataliputra (now Patna) and Vaishali developed as towns during the Magadh rule. Kanauj was the capital town of Harshavardhana in Uttar Pradesh. The establishment of the East India Company and the onset of British colonial control of India from the seventeenth century led to the growth of the urban centres of Delhi, Calcutta, Bombay and Madras. These cities (except Delhi) developed along the seacoast in the respective regions where the British had established administrative systems in various provinces.

In the present scenario, the urban population is growing rapidly. Because of this, opportunities are also increasing. Urbanisation in India is mainly due to the expansion of cities and the migration of people. Investments are made in housing, urban transport, road network, water supply, smart cities, power-related infrastructure and other forms of urban management.

Consequences of Rapid Urbanisation

Rapid urbanisation often leads to both healthy and unhealthy consequences and aspects.

Positive Aspect of Urbanisation

Urbanisation resulted in the development and setting up of many industries in the cities. Manufacturing units and the service sector started to grow in the urban areas. This has created employment opportunities for the people. This has resulted in rural-urban migration and caused the “industrialisation urbanisation process” to set in. The growth of cities has given rise to external economies. Urbanisation results in changes in the attitudes and mindset of the urban people resulting in modernisation in behaviour. This indirectly helped the country to attain faster economic development.

Negative Aspect of Urbanisation

Growing urbanisation has increased the congestion in urban areas, which has resulted in problems like traffic jams and too much concentration of population. Too much population is another unhealthy aspect of urbanisation. It has created urban chaos related to housing, education, sanitation, pollution, medical facilities, growth of slums, unemployment, violence, inadequate water supply, overcrowding etc. All these resulted in deteriorating the quality of human life.

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Counselling

Introductory essay

Written by the educators who created Ecofying Cities, a brief look at the key facts, tough questions and big ideas in their field. Begin this TED Study with a fascinating read that gives context and clarity to the material.

Right now, our economy operates as Paul Hawken said, "by stealing the future, selling it in the present and calling it GDP." And if we have another eight billion or seven billion people, living on a planet where their cities also steal the future, we're going to run out of future really fast. But if we think differently, I think that, in fact, we can have cities that are not only zero emissions, but have unlimited possibilities as well. Alex Steffen

The urgency of urban planning today

Within a few decades' time, we can expect the planet to become more crowded, resources more precious, and innovative urban planners increasingly important. By midcentury, the global population will likely top nine billion, and more than half will live in cities. What will these cities look like? Will we have the resources to power them and comfortably provide for their residents? Will global urbanization harmonize with efforts to curb climate change and secure a sustainable future, or are these forces hurtling towards a head-on collision?

The TED speakers featured in Ecofying Cities underscore the urgency, but also suggest that some optimism's in order as they outline the issues and offer imaginative solutions.

There's no single reason for or response to the complex environmental, economic and social challenges that are part of our future in cities. They call for multiple approaches, originating from different sources — individuals, communities, governments, businesses — and deployed at different levels — in the home, the neighborhood, the city, region, nation and across the globe — to respond to the challenges at hand. As Alex Steffen reminds the urban planners, architects, designers, elected leaders and others involved in the effort, "All those cities are opportunities."

Urbanism and the environment: A brief history

For centuries, successful city-building has required careful attention to the environmental consequences of urban development. Without this, as Jared Diamond demonstrated in Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed , a city inevitably ended up fouling its nest, thus entering a spiral of epidemics, economic hardship, decline and, ultimately, oblivion. Civilizations evolved different ways of dealing with environmental considerations — some with more success than others. For example, thanks to elaborate aqueducts and sewer systems, the Romans were able to build and sustain for centuries large cities that featured a reliable public water supply and state-of-the-art public health conditions.

In other civilizations, however, residents simply abandoned cities when they could no longer rely on their environment to supply the resources they needed. Often this was a direct result of their own activities: for example, deforestation and the attendant erosion of fertile soil, epidemics due to contaminated water and, with the advent of coal-fired industrialization, air pollution.

Urban planning got its start as a profession largely dedicated to averting different types of crises arising from urban growth and providing conditions for public health. This was particularly true in the many 19th century European and North American cities transformed by industrialization and unprecedented rates of population growth. Rapidly deteriorating air and water quality made it necessary to introduce regulations to protect the health of the residents of these cities.

The planners' first-generation improvements included sewers, water treatment and distribution, and improved air quality through building codes and increased urban green space. It's especially remarkable today to think that these interventions were adopted in response to observable health consequences, but without knowledge of the contamination mechanisms at work: germ theory didn't arrive on the scene until Louis Pasteur published his work in the 1860s. From the late 19th century onward Pasteur's findings bolstered the case for even more urban sanitation improvements, particularly those designed to improve water quality.

Starting in the 1950s, however, planners no longer narrowly targeted immediate health effects on urban residents as their chief environmental concern. Their work also absorbed and reflected Western society's deeper understanding of, and respect for, natural processes and growing awareness of the long-term environmental impacts of cities from the local to the planetary scale.

Rachel Carson is often credited as the first to popularize environmentalism. Published in 1962, her landmark book Silent Spring sounded a warning call about how pesticides endanger birds and entire ecological systems. Soon after, air pollution became a rallying point for environmentalists, as did the loss of large tracks of rural and natural land to accelerated, sprawling development. Today, sustainable development and smart growth, which largely overlap and address multiple environmental considerations, enjoy wide currency; most urban planning is now based on these principles.

Today, as we reckon with population growth, advancing rates of urbanization, and widespread recognition of climate change, we know that the cities of the future share a common destiny. The choices we make about how we build, inhabit and maintain these cities will have global and long-term effects.

Sustainable development: Two schools of thought

In modern urban planning, there are two general categories of sustainable development. The first doesn't challenge the present dynamics of the city, allowing them to remain largely low-density and automobile-oriented, but still makes them the object of measures aimed to reduce their environmental load (for example, green construction practices). Ian McHarg spearheaded this approach as a way to develop urban areas in harmony with natural systems; the planning principles he formulated gave special care to the preservation of water and green space. His lasting influence is visible in many of the more enlightened suburban developments of recent decades which respect the integrity of natural systems. Today, the Landscape Urbanism movement promotes these same ideas.

A second school of urban development focuses on increasing urban density and reducing reliance on the automobile. This approach advocates transit-oriented and mixed-use development along pedestrian-friendly "complete streets." On a regional scale, it aims to reduce sprawl by creating a network of higher-density multifunctional centers interconnected by public transit. Today, it's common for plans with a metropolitan scope to follow this approach.

Studying the city: About these materials

Cities are arguably the most complex human creation (with the possible exception of language) so it's not surprising that we study them at multiple scales and from diverse perspectives. We can approach cities through a narrow focus on an individual building or a neighborhood, expand the investigation to consider a metropolitan region in its entirety, or study the global system of cities and its interconnections. What's more, we can think about cities as built environments, social networks, modified ecologies, economic systems and political entities. Aware of the multiple ways that we engage with cities, the Romans had two words to refer to them: urbs referred to the physical city with its wall and buildings, and civitas , the city as a collection of residents.

Ecofying Cities explores urban areas at different scales. In some cases, the TED speaker focuses on a neighborhood project, like The High Line in Manhattan; others describe city-wide transformation, as in Curitiba, Brazil, or a regional or national initiative like China's plan for a network of eco-cities to house its growing urban population. Likewise, the talks explore cities from different disciplinary perspectives including urban planning, urban design, transportation planning, architecture, community organization and environmental science. What unites them all? A commitment to sustainability and a belief that sustainability is more about creating positive effects rather than reducing negative impacts.

The message emanating from Ecofying Cities is one of complexity, optimism and uncertainty. We can't be sure that the changes these speakers suggest will be enough to help us balance supply and demand in the sustainability equation. But we can expect that their ideas and efforts will improve the built environment — as well as quality of life — in cities, thereby providing hopeful perspectives for a sustainable future.

Let´s begin with writer and futurist Alex Steffen´s TEDTalk "The Sharable Future of Cities" for a look at the interplay between increasing urban density and energy consumption.

Alex Steffen

The shareable future of cities, relevant talks.

Jaime Lerner

A song of the city.

Majora Carter

Greening the ghetto.

Robert Hammond

Building a park in the sky.

Michael Pawlyn

Using nature's genius in architecture.

William McDonough

Cradle to cradle design.

James Howard Kunstler

The ghastly tragedy of the suburbs.

Ellen Dunham-Jones

Retrofitting suburbia.

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Urbanization's Impact on Crime and Policing

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The Pros and Cons of Urbanization in Relation to Food Security

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Cities and Urban Land Use

Dark side of urban life, smart cities concept, infidelity and betrayal to urban life, importance of public spaces in cities, income inequality in china: causes and prevalence, research of the positive effects of deforestation, urban sprawl and climate change, challenging noise levels in urban environments, rapid and sustained urbanization: the korean experience and lessons for afghanistan, the life in the areas of urban sprawl in australia, globalization: global concerns of global development, urban agriculture: organic and sustainable vegetable production, the impact of development of cities to the environment in reference to the yellowstone national park, review of the modern global issue of urban sprawl, isolation from urbanization in the waste land, the evolution of green ray concept, the rose city, analysis of rebecca solnit’s walking and the suburbanized psyche, the impact of china’s urbanization, relevant topics.

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Urban Planning Against Poverty pp 203–211 Cite as

Towards Real Urban Planning: Revisiting the City, Citizens and Development

• Jean-Claude Bolay 18  
• Open Access
• First Online: 13 November 2019

14k Accesses

Part of the book series: Future City ((FUCI,volume 14))

T he book concludes with a synthesized analysis of urban planning in Southern cities, with a particular focus on medium sized cities that play a role of intermediation between their suburban and rural environments and the whole urban network. Starting from the literature on the topic, as presented mainly in Chaps. 2 and 3 , we will compare the conceptual advances, as well as the statistical and global data, with the results of the fieldwork carried out in three cities chosen to tackle this theme in specific local and regional contexts.

This brings us to highlight the similarities and differences between each urban situation, in order to draw the main lessons that emerge from the analysis. We are able to decrypt the constraints that cities – their authorities, their administrations and their populations – face. And whether or not these restrictions hinder the implementation of a coherent urban planning system. It is on this basis that we will be able to identify the key elements that represent the pillars of an alternative version of urban planning to that which exists (when it exists!), in terms of foundations and guiding principles, objectives and methods used to achieve them, content and instructions. Planning can thus become a real instrument to guide and to manage the city and its region. We recall that urban planning, as we envisage it, is not only a technical exercise dealing with the territory, in the spatial and geographical sense of the definition, but truly an approach aimed at integrating societal issues into a planning process. Planning thus clearly contributes to moving towards a city that is not only socially and economically inclusive, but also sustainable, in which social and economic factors are rooted in the preservation of natural resources, within the framework of participatory and democratic public policies.

• Urban planning
• Sustainable urban development
• Intermediate cities
• Urban complexity
• Interdisciplinarity and transdisciplinarity

You have full access to this open access chapter,  Download chapter PDF

7.1 Between Poverty and Urban Development

I started from the disarming observation (which I was able to verify both in the field and in my research) that many innovative urban development experiments are being conducted in many Asian, African and Latin American cities. These experiments are often considered successful, and even as best practices to replicate. One hopes that they presage new and improved forms urban management that takes into account inhabitants’ concerns. And yet, United Nations statistics, televised reports and field research all confirm the same thing: the number of slums, poor people and disparities between rich and poor are increasing. It is not impossible to imagine that something is actually wrong, and that a gap exists between this local effervescence and the harsh reality at the global level.

While we mustn’t despair, strong arguments do favor a critical analysis of reality: overall, the structure of cities is improving. Yet, more and more urban dwellers are living precariously.

This seeming contradiction is, in fact, an illusion, and merely reflects the enormous challenges that cities face, especially in South countries: the extremely rapid increase in the number of city dwellers is leading to endless sprawl of the inhabited territory. The main characteristic of South cities is that this growth - both demographic and spatial – is also taking place at record speed. It is therefore not surprising that spatial planning and the organization of human activities confront many obstacles; social demands and needs far surpass both service and infrastructure supply, as well as urban actors’ capacity to meet them.

In such extreme conditions, solving the technical, material and human problems these agglomerations face requires (1) identifying pressing needs and social demands in order to define the priorities of public and private investments and (2) that the authorities take important measures. All this while handling emergencies and everyday life as best as possible. It is in this risky, sometimes hazardous context that planning must reinvent itself, torn between rigor and flexibility, standards and creativity. The specificities of each site (what makes each city and urban society special), its history and geography combine with these overarching principles.

This urbanization can appear perfectly coherent and organized or, on the contrary, disordered and chaotic, as is often the case in South cities. This partial or total disorganization is the result of varied and variable factors that were addressed in the preceding chapters. One notable reason is both individuals’ and the public authorities’ inability to handle and solve problems as they arise. The latter tend to follow learned precepts and apply classic urban planning recipes. Be it procrastination or political choice, the result is the same: a thousand and one other (individual, social and institutional) ways of problem solving creep in, sometimes in a formalized way, but often outside the law based on informal arrangements, social struggles, political patronage and corruption. It’s anything goes. We have synthesized this situation in the following formula: territorial fragmentation = social segregation . Thus do we witness the reproduction of the great sociological patterns of urban organization comprised of power struggles, conflicts, negotiations, socio-economic inequalities and political issues.

Urban precariousness in all its forms bears witness to this. Be it slums, the environmental risks associated with deforestation, flooding in neighborhoods without adequate drainage, or the insecurity of informal work, all are signs of the fundamental incompatibility between social demands and the needs of the population on one hand, and public/private financial investment capacity (based on choice criteria that are not always transparent) on the other. Poor populations react to this via do-it-yourself survival solutions, resourcefulness and spontaneous or collective actions. Because the poor must act fast (and act together) in order to not lose the game. And this game is crucial for them because it is their urban integration that is at stake. That, and the lives and futures of their children. It cannot wait. Conversely, for those on the other team (i.e. speculators, capitalists and politicians with power), playing for time, procrastinating and palavering may be a bit risky but can have big pay offs. So for them, sometimes it is worth waiting, or even bending the rules a bit. This also takes the form of speculation on future lots in informal neighborhoods (while pocketing value-added land, or, as politicians would say, “beautifying” them in return for votes in the next election).

7.2 Planning for Sustainable Urban Development

Fundamentally speaking, urban planning is a decision-making instrument of major importance, whose mastery and wise use could help us think about the future and organize activities in a rational, functional way. But urban planning must be based on a future vision and idea of the city of tomorrow, with goals that actually become policies, strategies, programs and actions.

As the three case studies demonstrate, urban planning too often serves as a technical display, a technocratic, simplistic way to hide the lack of a solid urban project behind procedures, with utopian expectations that rarely have true outcomes. To put it another way, planning “instrumentalizes” poverty. Or worse, it merely serves as a dramatization, a fool’s game designed to make ordinary city dwellers believe in a “bright future” and dream of another life to obscure the harsh reality of their existence. The takes place through the exploitation of individuals and resources at the expense of the majority and for the benefit of a rich minority.

But nothing means anything if the urban planning process is not part of a more global vision founded on sustainable urban development. The words “sustainable urban development” describe this integrative environment, which acts as a framework wherein one can reflect on the complexity of the city and its urbanity in the present and future. Taking “sustainable urban development” as a horizon promotes the sharing of ideas and experiences in an open way based on explicit criteria to provide alternatives to classic models that have not had the expected outcomes.

The chapters on urban data and criticism of urban planning brought us back to this notion of sustainable development. In these final considerations, we can draw a parallel with another concept used in this work: that of the inclusive city. What is this sustainable, inclusive city, for which urban planning would serve as a decision-making tool?

Starting from three dimensions – environmental, social and economic – sustainability aims to balance the protection of natural resources, social equity and economic prosperity, while safeguarding against the latter dimension’s negative impact on the first two. This commendable perspective seems to be more wishful thinking than an actual conceptual analysis. In fact, since the 1980s, the impact of globalization of economic exchanges and the challenging of national protectionist measures – the very antithesis of the precepts of sustainable development – have been felt worldwide. The main consequence of this economic “revolution” is the imposing of the same economic model on all countries, economic producers and policy makers. This has unquestionably boosted the productivity of more dynamic emerging countries like China and Vietnam, with whom we have collaborated scientifically, in international markets. But it has also put enormous pressure on workers and working conditions, and relegated the poorest countries, which are unable to keep up with this global transition, to the margins. This is clearly the case in Burkina Faso, another country we have collaborated with, whose cotton exports have been hard hit by international market laws. Such countries have no means to defend their small rural producers against Asian and North American industrial giants.

The balance that sustainable development seeks is far from being achieved. Tensions between economic growth – which has been positive the world over for many years – and the social distribution of the wealth accumulated as such have steadily worsened. Overall, and in the three countries where we conducted our studies, the rich have become richer and the poor more numerous and even poorer Footnote 1 over the last three decades.

Moving away from this economic and social confrontation for a moment, we can nonetheless concede that progress has been made on the environmental front. Environmental criteria have had a positive impact on production methods, administrative organization and spatial planning. Considering environmental criteria in the organization of cities and the community activities that take place in them is in keeping with the concerns of the sustainable development model. A territorial dimension designed to spread human settlements out evenly over a given territory can be added to the environmental, social and economic dimensions, in the effort to avoid urban clustering and rural flight.

But (because there is a “but”), while these improvements are notable in many European cities, they have only recently appeared on the agendas of major Latin American cities (mainly in the form of pedestrian zones, green spaces and public transport lanes), and are virtually inexistent in African cities (except for the first Bus Rapid Transit initiatives in cities like Dakar and Lagos). In the medium-sized cities studied in this book and in the Global South more generally, crucial issues such as wastewater and solid waste treatment are largely ignored due to a lack of resources and the absence of political will, at the risk of individuals’ health.

7.3 Intermediate Cities: Between Urbanity and Regional Integration

The desire to question urban planning based on small and medium-sized intermediate cities illustrates the often poorly-understood issues of urban typology and the role these intermediate cities can play in evenly distributing individuals over an urban territory. As such, intermediate cities act as an interface between the rural and urban worlds and serve as service and amenity hubs for their regions. The three case studies demonstrate these cities’ potential for sustainable development throughout the regional and national territory. They also show that these cities are not only little known and rarely studied, but that, beyond their differences, they also face great difficulties in establishing reliable, helpful urban planning tools.

Several authors quoted in this book question planning as it is practiced in South cities. They consider it inappropriate, as it is based on Western models and is unsuited to the characteristics of developing countries. These errors in urban planning notably affect small and medium-sized cities, which lack the human and financial resources to address important issues. In fact, it is now internationally recognized that urban agglomerations of less than 500,000 inhabitants have the highest population growth rates – in other words, higher than those of bigger cities. They are also those that suffer the most from a lack of administrative services (computer and internet communication, for example) and reliable, qualified staff. Moreover, they often have budgets that are insufficient for their needs, thus making them highly dependent on the central government and lenders.

Focusing on intermediate cities has shown their important in the fight for sustainable development, as a viable, attractive alternative to large urban areas. Easily assimilated to “ordinary cities” as defined by J. Robinson ( 2006 ), many indeed require appropriate management and better planning to organize their territories and the human activities there more effectively. All of this within the cities limits of city, but with an important impact on the regional environment as well.

Because they are smaller, one might think that the problems these intermediate cities face are less serious and more easily resolvable. This is a fallacy. As they are rarely known outside their provincial or national borders, they have difficulty attracting talent and funding, and must manage their problems locally, without consistent, structured outside support or recognition of their efforts.

At the crossroads of rural and urban, these small and medium-sized cities , which act as intermediaries between a varied, abundant supply and social demands, are in desperate need of effective urban planning. And as we have seen, in those cases where urban planning does exist, it has not really served as a guide for reasoned, reasonable urban management.

7.4 An Alternative Based on Interdisciplinarity and Social Dialogue

In Chap. 3 , we reversed the logic by proposing a framework indicating the different dimensions and phases of alternative planning (Table 3.1 ) and have attempted to explain it.

Rather than focusing on space and materials as too many urban planners and engineers tend to do, we suggest a conceptual and methodological approach based on listening to inhabitants and social dialogues in order to identify needs and priorities. This must take place well before designing plans and reproducing patterns that have no proven foundations. There is no contempt for technology or engineering here. On the contrary, we know that engineers, urban planners and architects are the backbone of urban planning. Data management and mapping tools, like open access to geospatial data, are revolutionary in that they favors exchanges between urban actors and facilitate the fundamental questioning of political and technical powers.

But my 30 years of career experience and the three studies discussed in this book show that understanding urban complexity can only be accomplished through an interdisciplinary approach involving the social and technical sciences, and transdisciplinarity between researchers, service providers and inhabitants. Opening ourselves up to innovative ways of doing things is not scientific coquetry; it is an ethical, social obligation that allows us to deal with the all too often catastrophic living conditions of poor urban families. As urban researchers, it is also our job to not accept such social inequalities and obstacles in terms of access to urban services and amenities.

Although we wrote this some time ago, this is unfortunately still the case: the poor pay for their right to the city at a higher cost than other city dwellers. This is true not only in terms of human energy but financially as well, as access to public utility networks is rare when not altogether inexistent for the most destitute. Yet, as we know, the city is a privileged space of sociability and individual and collective creativity.

Some final recommendations could serve as a guideline for promoting planning alternatives.

Again, taking up the four references in terms of sustainable urban development – the environmental, social, economic and territorial dimensions – we must first analyze the factors that challenge the sustainability of the urban actions that have been carried out so far, before envisaging any technical planning action.

This diagnostic work is based on sustainable urban development. Urban development is an “ideal”, and sustainability is its “time horizon”. Urban sustainability criteria are thus “the angle” from which urban complexity will be analyzed. Urban planning should serve as “instrumentation” to organize action and measure its effects.

On this basis, taking into account the research conducted at the beginning of the book on the evolution of the “urban world” and the shortcomings in the application of exogenous urban planning models in South cities, we have concluded that two paths can guide urban planning towards sustainable, shared development.

The first guides development through the “inclusive city” concept, a city whose main concern is integrating people in a society that promotes well-being and personal, family and social growth. This ultimate goal, which is a long-term ambition, is the counterpart of the individual and collective exclusion, marginalization and segregation we see today. By its mere existence, inclusion denounces the one billion poor urban dwellers living in precarious conditions and criticizes this disastrous reality as not being a “fatality”, nor a “natural phenomenon”, nor an “inevitable consequence” of growth. On the contrary, it is “a fact of society”, the result of a social construction, a logic of social and economic exploitation that characterizes contemporary society and leaves its mark on South cities.

The inclusive city includes the four dimensions of sustainable urban development because it fashions a living environment that is conducive to individual emancipation and social solidarity. It contributes greatly to the fight against poverty, as the urban analysis and political action that emanate from its focus on margins, gaps, shortcomings and risks, as well as on the conflicts born of these tensions. This shift in our perspective highlights the many expressions of the segregation process. It seeks ways to integrate the poor based on their real needs because those left behind are symptomatic of an overall logic: that of the hard, brutal, violent, contemporary South city and its unfair growth dynamic.

I remember what my Cameroonian director said when I was working as a young head of the liaison service and land affairs for the Nylon zone management agency, in Douala, Cameroon, in the 1980s: “It’s not the 90% success that matters. What counts are the 10% who are left behind. The most complicated thing is finding the right solutions for getting that marginalized 10% out of where they are.” I reinterpret Pierre Elong Mbassi’s sayings as best I can remember them, knowing how much they have guided me and still serve as a yardstick in assessing the work done. We can be proud of what we do well for the vast majority of urban dwellers, but must remain vigilant (and creative) about supporting the urban poor in their initiatives. They know the city is their future. They are entitled to it, like all of us. And all the more so as they represent the majority of urban dwellers in developing countries, albeit one that does not interest the wealthy and of which the authorities are wary.

To my mind, urban development should first and foremost focus on urban poverty in order to understand its origin – be it residential, land-wise or infrastructural. This precariousness translates into a lack of access to urban services and networks. This collaboration between researchers, professionals and poor citizens is not neutral; it stems from scientists’ desire to enter the public arena and position themselves. The right to the city and social justice are not just moral values. They are also goals of well-thought out sustainable urban development. This means that social justice and the right to the city force us to understand this “state of facts”. For if we do not understand urban dynamics in their very foundations and orientations, there is no way to transform the city as a whole.

The second path concerns the methods to be followed.

Knowledge that is not shared is not true knowledge. Co-creation provides an opportunity for debate, comparing ideas and visions, and brainstorming on the design and application of acceptable, appropriate solutions. This implies political will and an institutional framework that allows for it.

Urban settings are highly conducive to such prospects. The urban reality is complex in terms of its ever-increasing technological components, but also in terms of its social, economic and cultural interactions. The interactions between society, the built environment and natural resources add to the complexity. Analyzing a complex phenomenon like South cities requires the bringing together of a host of diverse skills. An interdisciplinary approach is essential to establishing a thorough diagnosis of the urban reality. Urban planners, architects and engineers must pool their knowledge with the know-how of social scientists, environmentalists, geographers, financial specialists and public managers. But the approach goes beyond research between scientific disciplines. Really making things happen on the ground means working with representatives of urban society such as resident associations, neighborhood groups, business associations, political parties, religious groups, etc.). Consultancy must no longer be merely technical or scientific. A transdisciplinary approach that allowing for a comparison of the “needs identified” and “social demands” is imperative. Analyzing urbanity through a shared diagnosis with urban actors at a precise moment in a given situation is essential for developing urban planning founded on rigorous, realistic, solid bases.

7.5 A Few Simple Rules for Dealing with Urban Complexity

These conclusions and recommendations may seem obvious…on paper, at least. But we know that applying such a methodology can be difficult, as it challenges the established powers, hierarchies and power relationships between urban actors.

At different times during our urban research and consultancy to urban stakeholders (local governments, etc.), we followed these steps:

a reference framework based on sustainable urban development goals;

an inclusive city position;

a poverty alleviation focus;

an interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary urban diagnosis.

These are the necessary premises for an effective urban planning approach.

The city must be considered and transformed based on the existing reality and the actions carried out by different actors at different scales. This “reality principle” is the best way to safeguard against pharaonic megaprojects (new cities and other top down absurdities). The iteration between inhabitants, professionals, researchers and decision-makers is the most failsafe technique for incorporating the many innovative processes, which can be tested in full scale.

That is why planning the city and its surrounding environment must respect certain fundamental criteria, among them:

the development of an urban plan, which is a participatory process involving the population in both the analysis and decision-making phases;

the proposed investments are based on

(a) the available budget and

(b) outside grants;

priority actions and investments help in the fight against poverty and promoting the individual and collective integration of urban dwellers without discrimination;

a shared database with open, transparent access and easy-to-use technical tools;

the government, local administration and decision-makers are accountable to city-dwellers so as to make planning a tool of communication and exchange between the local authorities, the population and stakeholders, and to ensure that the impact of public action in general is measured, especially in urban projects.

An in-depth diagnosis and participatory planning are key elements for providing sustainable urban development planning alternatives.

Given the number of urban dwellers on the planet, the extent of urban poverty and the living conditions of the poor, the stakes are high and must be taken seriously. For they are the basis of real and profound changes in South cities and the best way both to promote sustainability and to fight against various forms of urban exploitation and segregation.

For instance, in January 2019 Oxfam declared that “0.8% of the world’s population have net worth in excess of $1 million and controls 44.8% of the world’s wealth. The bottom half’s wealth fell by 11%, whereas a few thousand billionaires saw their wealth increase by 12%” (See https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/2019/1/22/18192774/oxfam-inequality-report-2019-davos-wealth ).

Robinson J (2006) Ordinary cities: between modernity and development. Routledge, London. ISBN 0-415-30487-3

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Essay on Urbanization in India

In this essay we will discuss about Urbanization in India. After reading this essay you will learn about: 1. Meaning of Urbanisation 2. Trends of Urbanisation in India 3. Degree 4. Causes 5. Consequences 6. Role in Economic Development of India.

• Essay on the Role of Urbanisation in Economic Development of India

Essay # 1. Meaning of Urbanisation:

Urbanisation is one of the common characteristics of economic development. With the gradual growth of the economy, the process of urbanisation depends on the shift of surplus population from rural to urban areas along-with the growth of some industrialised urban centres.

Due to social and economic pressures, people from backward villages started to move towards urbanised centres in search of job, where newly established industries and ancillary activities continuously offer job opportunities to those people migrating to cities.

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The pace of urbanisation is fast if the industrial growth is fast. The pace of urbanisation gradually declines only when the proportion of urban population to total population of the country becomes too high.

Essay # 2. Trends of Urbanisation of India :

In India, an increasing trend towards urbanisation has been recorded from the very beginning of this present century. The census data on the rural-urban composition reveal a continuous rise in the rate of urbanisation in India and more particularly during the second half of the present 21st century.

The proportion of urban population to total population which was only 11 per cent in 1911 slowly increased to 11.3 per cent in 1921 and then gradually rose to 14 per cent in 1941.

With a liberal definition of urban area adopted in 1951, the proportion of urban population suddenly rose to 17.6 per cent. But with a slightly strict definition, the proportion of urban population recorded a small increase to 18.3 per cent in 1961. In the 1971 census, a new definition of an urban unit was adopted and that definition was continued in 1981 census.

This definition was as follows:

(a) All places with a municipality, corporation, cantonment board or notified town area committee etc.

(b) All other places which satisfy the following criteria:

(i) Minimum population of 5,000;

(ii) At least 75 per cent of male working population engaged in non-agricultural pursuits; and

(iii) A density of population of at least 400 persons per sq km (1,000 persons per sq mile).

The definition of an urban unit in 1961 census was also similar to the above mentioned definition. Thus the data on rural-urban distribution during the last three censuses are comparable. The proportion of urban population to total population of India as per this new definition was estimated at 20.2 per cent in 1971 census and then marginally rose to 23.7 per cent in 1981.

Again in 2001, the total size of urban population in India increased to 285 million as compared to that of 217 million in 1991. This shows that the proportion of urban population to total population of India has increased from 25.8 per cent in 1991 to 27.8 per cent in 2001.

The provisional figure of total urban population of India in 2011 is estimated at 377 million which is estimated at 31.16 per cent of the total population of the country. Moreover, the total number of towns in India which was only 1627, gradually rose to 3060 in 1951, 3126 in 1971, 4029 in 1981 and then to 5166 in 2001. Table 6.7 reveals the detailed picture of this trend in urbanisation.

Moreover, urbanisation has an increasing impact on the concentration of population towards relatively higher income categories. Therefore, urban areas have higher percentage of lower middle income, middle income, upper middle income and higher income group of people than that of rural areas. Table 6.8 clarifies this point.

Thus it is found from Table 6.8 that the percentage of households in the lower middle income category was 34.75 per cent in urban areas as compared to that of 23.88 per cent in the rural areas.

Similarly, the percentage of households in the middle income and the upper middle income categories were 17.89 per cent and 6.46 per cent in the urban areas as compared to that of only 7.06 per cent and 1.16 per cent in the rural areas. Again, the percentage of households in the higher income category was 3.75 per cent in the urban areas in comparison to that of only 0.56 per cent in the rural areas.

The size of total urban population increased from about 26 million in 1901 to 62 million in 1951, showing an increase of 36 million in just 50 years.

But during the next three decades (1951-81), the absolute increase was to the extent of 94 million and this shows that the population absorption capacity in urban areas has increased substantially due to industrialisation in the country. The census data shows that the annual growth rate of urban population which was 3.26 per cent during 1961-71, gradually increased to 3.86 per cent during 1971-81.

Essay # 3. Degree of Urbanisation in India:

Measurement of the degree of urbanisation in a country like India is considered very important. Various measures are being used for the purpose. As per the first simple method we observed that the total urban population in India in 1981 was a little less than one fourth of the total population in comparison to that of one-ninth in 1921 and one-sixth in 1951.

The second method, i.e., the urban-rural growth differential (URGD) method also revealed that the growth rates of both rural and urban population are very close to each other at present.

Third method showing the growth of urban population reveals that as the total population of the country rose by about three times since 1921 but the total urban population of the country increased by about six-times. Thus all the methods observed more or less same results.

If we compare degree of urbanisation in India with that of developed countries then we can find that India is lagging far behind the high-income countries. In 1985, the proportion of urban population to total population was 92 per cent in U.K., 86 per cent in Australia, 76 per cent in Japan, and 74 per cent in U.S.A. as against only 25 per cent in India.

In India, towns are classified into six different classes. From the census data, it has been observed that in Class I town (having a population more than 1 lakh) the proportion of urban population concentration has increased from 25.7 per cent in 1901 to 60.4 per cent in 1981. Thus there is an increasing trend towards huge concentration of population in the bigger towns.

In Class II and Class III towns together, the proportion of urban population remained almost constant at the level of 26 to 28 per cent during the period 1901-81. But in the remaining Class IV, Class V and Class VI towns together, the relative proportion of urban population concentration declined sharply from 47.2 per cent in 1901 to only 13.6 per cent in 1981.

Besides continuation of urbanisation process, a number of Class II towns have been transformed into a Class I town and the number of Class I towns has thus increased from 74 in 1951 to 216 in 1981.

Accordingly, the total population of Class I towns also increased from 273 lakhs in 1951 to 943 lakh in 1981 showing an increase of nearly 245 per cent. During the same period, the number of Class II towns has increased from 95 to 270 and that of Class III towns increased from 330 to 739 in 1981.

Total population of Class II and Class III towns increased from 330 to 739 in 1981. Total population of Class II and Class III towns increased by 130 per cent, i.e., from 97 lakh in 1951 to 224 lakh in 1981. While the number of class IV towns has increased from 85 lakh to 149 lakh, the number of Class V and class VI towns and their total population declined sharply during the same period.

Again the number of big cities with million plus population has increased from 12 in 1981 to 27 in 2001 and their total population also increased from 42.1 million in 1981 to 73.0 million in 2001. As per 2001 census the size of population of four-cities of India are 11.9 million for Mumbai, 4.58 million for Kolkata, 9.8 million for Delhi and 4.2 million in Chennai.

Essay # 4. Causes of Rapid Urbanisation in India:

Rapid urbanisation is taking place in different parts of the country in and around some big cities and towns of the country. The growing trend of urbanisation as reflected in growing concentration of major proportion of urban population in some big cities.

The factors which are largely responsible for such rapid urbanisations are mentioned below:

(i) Natural Increase in Population:

Rapid unbanisation is taking place as a result of high rate of natural increase in population. Natural increase is taking place when the birth rate in urban areas exceeds the death rate. The natural growth rate of urban population is higher than that of rural due to higher net survival rate arising out of better health and medical facilities.

Improvement in health and medical facilities, drinking water supply and sanitation facilities have reduced the incidence of water-borne diseases, communicable diseases etc.

Accordingly, the birth rate in urban areas in 1971 was estimated at 30.1 per thousand as compared to the death rate of 9.7 per thousand which subsequently reduced to 24.3 and 7.1 per thousand in 1991. Thus the natural growth rate is stated too high because of large difference between birth and death rates.

The death rate in urban areas declined considerably due to better availability of medical and health service, safe drinking water supply and improved sanitation facilities.

This natural increase in population is largely responsible for phenomenal growth of population in urban areas i.e. 46 per cent in 1971-81 and 36 per cent in 1980-91 decade as compared to that of 19 per cent and 20 per cent growth rate attained in rural areas of India during these two decades.

(ii) Migrations:

Rural-urban migration is considered another important factor responsible for rapid urbanisation in India. The rural to urban migrations have been resulted due to many factors during the post independence period. Creation of many activities of manufacturing and trading as a result of industrial development has resulted migration of rural people to urban areas for seeking jobs and higher incomes as well.

After the partition of the country in 1947 rural uprooted people started to settle down in urban areas. Poor living conditions and negligible arrangement in respect of education and health have also attracted large number of rural people to migrate and settle in urban areas in search of good education, health facilities, better living conditions and securities of life.

As a result of heavy public investments in industry and mining, huge industrial development and sustained agricultural development urbanisation takes place. Thus due to these “pull factors”, large number of rural people migrate to urban areas.

However there are certain “push factors” where due to worse economic conditions a number of rural people are pushed out of villages due to economic compulsions. Thus in the current phase of urbanisation both the “pull factor” and “push factor” are very much operational.

(iii) Expansion of Industry and Trade:

In recent years, urbanisation takes place with the growing expansion of industry and trade in a particular state of region. Growth of an industry with its ancillaries along with localisation of industry would always create a favourable situation for the growth of an urban set up.

Similarly, growth of business and trade along with establishment of an active market always provides adequate support toward growing urbanisation in those places related to the development of industry and trade.

(iv) Boundary Changes of Towns:

With the extension of the boundaries of cities and towns, more and more rural areas are gradually being included in rural areas. Although life in these newly extended areas remains rural initially but the inclusion of these areas into these towns and cities necessarily increases the number of urban population.

Essay # 5. Consequences of Rapid Urbanisation:

The rapid urbanisation is subjected to both healthy and unhealthy consequences and aspects.

(i) Healthy Aspects:

Rapid industrialisation results the development and setting up of many industrial cities. Along with manufacturing units, ancillaries and service sector started to grow in those urban areas. Secondly, new and additional employment opportunities are created in the urban areas in its newly expanding manufacturing and service sector units.

This would result rural-urban migration and “industrialisation- urbanisation process” to set in. Thirdly, growth of cities can give rise to external economies so as to reap the benefit of economies of scale for various services and activities.

Finally, urbanisation results changes in attitudes and mind set of the urban people resulting modernisation in behaviour and proper motivation which indirectly helps the country to attain faster economic development.

(ii) Unhealthy Aspects:

Although development of the economy are very much associated with urbanisaition but it has resulted some serious problems. Firstly, growing urbanisation is largely responsible for increasing congestion in the urban areas. Too much congestion has resulted problems like traffic jams, too much concentration of population, the management of which is gradually becoming very difficult and costly.

Secondly, too much of population is another unhealthy aspect of urbanisation which creates urban chaos related to housing, education, medical facilities, growth of slums, unemployment, violence, overcrowding etc. All these would result in deterioration in the quality of human life.

Finally, as a result of urbanisation, large scale migration takes place from rural to urban areas. Such large scale migration of active population from rural areas would result loss of productivity in rural areas, leading to poor conditions in village economy. Thus urbanisation, beyond a certain point, would result in unhealthy consequences.

(iii) Urban Policy Measures:

Considering unhealthy consequences of rapid urbanisation, it is quite important to formulate an urban policy which can provide urban development with minimum undesirable effects.

The measures which can be largely followed include:

(i) Integrating urbanisation process with the development plans of the country for developing non-agricultural activities like manufacturing services and infrastructure leading to attainment of external economies,

(ii) Making arrangement for selective urban development so as to minimise the disadvantages of these large sized towns,

(iii) To develop rural districts, by developing towns in highly rural districts,

(iv) To develop satellite townships in and around large cities; and

(v) Relieving pressure on large urban centres by developing urban amenities in adequate quantities so as to make urban living peaceful.

Essay # 6. Role of Urbanisation in Economic Development of India:

Urbanisation and economic development are closely associated. Economic development of a country indicates increase in the level of per capita income and standard of living along-with the enlargement of employment opportunities for its growing population. With the attainment of economic development and growing industrialisation, the process of urbanisation starts at a rapid scale.

Some areas emerge as a large urbanised centre with large scale industrial and trading activities. These areas started to offer increasing number of employment opportunities leading to a shift of population from rural areas to these urbanized centres. Thus economic development of a country assists in its process of urbanization.

Growing industrialisation raises the rate of economic development along-with the pace of urbanization in the country. Increase in the rate of economic development raises the level of per capita income and standard of living of the people which in turn enlarges the demand for various goods and services.

This increase in aggregate demand expands the production system leading to a large scale production of various goods and services.

All these lead to increase in the pace of urbanization in the country. Thus there is a good correlation between the level of per capita income and the pace of urbanization. In India, the coefficient of correlation between the proportion of urban population to total population and the level of per capita income is estimated at 0.5, which is significant.

Moreover, economic development paves way for growth of cities and towns. Thus with the increase in the number of cities and towns the proportion of urban population to total population is also increasing.

But higher degree of urbanisation cannot reduce the degree of unemployment in India significantly through the absorption of increasing number of surplus labour force from rural areas as the scope for raising urban employment is also limited. In India there is an insignificant positive correlation (0.18) between the proportion of urban population and the rate of daily status of unemployment.

Moreover, there is a mild negative correlation, i.e., 0.22, between the proportion of urban population and the percentage of population below the poverty line in India.

Factors which are responsible for this typical situation are:

(a) neglect of urban slums in our planning coverage;

(b) growing exploitation of unorganised sectors by capitalists, contractors, landlords etc. and

(c) increasing application of capital intensive techniques in urban areas.

Thus in comparison to the degree of urbanisation achieved in India, the absorptive capacity of the urban centres is very low. This shows the reason why urbanised centres in India could not make much headway in reducing the degree of unemployment in the country.

Thus, in conclusions, it can be observed that the attainment of high rate of economic development paves the way for growing urbanization along-with the increase in the level of per capita income and the development of various urbanized infra-structural facilities like transportation and communication, housing, education, health, trade, banking etc.

But this growing urbanisation has also led to huge concentration of population in urban areas, resulting in various evils side by side such as growth of slums, increasing congestion and pollution, problems of transportation, housing, water supply, health services, unemployment and poverty.

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Essay on Urbanization for Children and Students

Table of Contents

Urbanization is the process in which people migrate from backward and rural areas to urban areas often attributed to modernization and industrialization. Industrial revolution has given rise to Urbanization by creating job opportunities that induces people from rural areas to migrate to urban areas. With economic and social reforms demand for man power has increased in urban areas.

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Long and Short Essay on Urbanization in English

Here are essays on urbanization of varying lengths to help you with the topic in your exam. You can select any Urbanization essay as per your need:

Urbanization Essay 1 (200 Words)

Urbanization refers to movement of mankind from rural areas to urban areas and how society adapts the changes. India is facing serious problem of rise in urban population presently. With Urbanization there is increase in social, economic and political progress but on the other hand it also leads to socio-economic problems due to unplanned growth in urban population and lack of infrastructural facilities.

The natural growth in population combined with the growth due to migration puts heavy load on public utilities like housing, water, health, education, transport and other commodities and services.

People from rural areas migrate to urban areas for better employment opportunities, better education, health and medical facilities, commercialization, better standard of living, social status and so on. Modern-day farming involves new technology lessening the need of manpower leading to Urbanization.

There are several problems that upsurge due to Urbanization that need serious attention. Some of the chief problems in India due to Urbanization are overpopulation, poverty, environmental degradation, unemployment, transport, sanitation, pollution and so on.

Planning and investment is required for infrastructural development. Developing clean cities and green cities is essential. Provisions of essential services such as health, education, clean water, food and electricity among the masses should be the goal. Spreading awareness and educating people about family planning and population control should be emphasized.

Urbanization Essay 2 (300 Words)

Introduction

Urbanization is the rise in growth of people living in cities and towns. Urbanization also means the transformation of society whereby rural economy is being transformed to advanced industrial economy. It is highly accepted notion that urban areas as compared to rural areas have achieved better social, economic and political development. People from the rural areas are induced to urban areas to take advantage of its advanced economic and social benefits.

Urbanization in India

Urbanization began to stimulate in India after independence due to rise in the development of the private sector. Population living in urban areas in India according to census 2001 was 28.53%, standing at 31.16% as per census 2011. A survey conducted by UN state of the world population report in 2007, predicts 40.76% population in India is expected to live in urban areas by 2030 and will lead to world’s urban population surge by 2050.

Main causes of Urbanization in India are Industrial revolution, Urbanization for economic development, economic opportunities and infrastructure facilities, development of private sectors, employment opportunities, land fragmentations and better standard of living.

Like every coin has two sides, Urbanization has several positive as well as negative effects. The positive factors of Urbanization are generation of employment opportunities, better and higher education, healthcare and medical facilities, housing, transport, new technology, social integration, electricity and better standard of living. The negative effects of Urbanization are unemployment, overcrowding, global warming, traffic congestions and air pollution, poverty, shortage in supply of water, urban crime, trash disposal issues and so on. With the passing time negative impacts of Urbanization are increasing immensely.

Due to growth in population, industrialization and infrastructural development has become a necessity in rural areas. This will also raise employment opportunities in rural areas. Better education, healthcare, transport, sanitation facilities should be provided in rural areas.

Urbanization Essay 3 (400 Words)

Urbanization is the process in which people leave rural areas and shift to urban areas either due to push or pull factors. Urbanization turns out to have positive effects when happens to the certain extent. The positive effects of the Urbanization include employment to the unemployed, better education, health care and medical facilities, infrastructural development and access to new and advanced technologies. Urbanization is the process of development. However, over Urbanization in cities especially metro cities is resulting in adverse effects.

Positive Effects of Urbanization

Here is a detailed look at the positive effects of Urbanization:

• Efficiency: Urban areas are more efficient in providing resources than rural areas. Basic amenities such as clean water, housing and electricity are easily provided.
• Accessibility: Apart from the basic resources people in urban areas get easy access to health care and medical facilities, higher and better education, transport, entertainment etc.
• Better Employment: People from rural areas often migrate to urban areas in search of better employment opportunities. Due to industrialization and commercialization there are several job and business opportunities available in cities.
• Education: There are more schools, universities and colleges in urban areas as compared to rural areas. Students migrate to urban areas for higher or better education with or without their families. Students can choose from a variety of career options available in cities for their bright future.
• Health care: There are several health care and medical facilities available in urban areas as compared to rural areas.
• Better social amalgamation: Urbanization promotes cultural and social fusion. People of various religions, castes and gender work and socialize together breaking down the norms of social and cultural barriers.

Push and Pull Factors of Urbanization

There are various push factors and pull factors of Urbanization in India. Push factors are the factors due to which people have to leave rural areas and move to urban areas for instance, unemployment, poverty, lack of infrastructure and limited resources. Pull factors are the factors that induced people to move to urban areas e.g. employment opportunities, better education, infrastructure development, commercialization, health and medical care.

Urbanization also means the transformation of society whereby rural culture is being transformed to modern urban culture. It is alteration from traditional rural economies to industrial economies. Urbanization allows the overall urban population to enjoy the fruits of economic and social development. However, due to increase in global warming due to Urbanization serious measures need to be taken for clean and green cities.

Urbanization Essay 4 (500 Words)

The mass movement of people from rural areas to urban areas, i.e., cities and towns is called Urbanization, the process in which population in cities and towns increases. Higher the population, higher is the demand of public utilities like housing, sanitation water, health, education and so on. Urbanization is subjected to range of elements such as urban planning, economics, sociology and health care.

The concept of Urbanization is increase in developing and developed society as people want to move to cities and towns to enjoy the benefits of social and economic development that include better education, health care, housing, better work opportunities and sanitation.

Main Causes of Urbanization

Here are some of the main causes of Urbanization:

• Industrialization
• Commercialization
• Social benefits
• Employment opportunities
• Modernization
• Better Education

Here is a look at these factors in brief:

Industrialization is the concept of moving from agricultural sector to industrial sector. Industrialization creates economic growth and employment opportunities. With industrial revolution in developing and developed countries, more and more people are moving from rural areas to urban areas for better employment opportunities.

Modern-day trade and commerce also result in Urbanization. In modern times, development of marketing institutions and methods of trade have significantly contributed to Urbanization. There are better commercial opportunities and returns in urban areas than in rural areas. As a result, people are tempted to urban areas.

• Social Benefits

There are several social benefits in urban areas compared to rural areas like better education, better health care, transport, sanitation and social status. Better recreational facilities are available such as play grounds, theatres, parks and clubs. Thus, people move to urban areas for enjoying the benefits of modern lifestyle.

• Employment Opportunities

In rural areas people mainly have to depend on agricultural sector for their living whereas in the urban areas there are several employment opportunities in various sectors such as education, health care, transport, banking, media, television and sports to name a few.

Agricultural sector mainly depends on monsoon. In times of natural calamities and drought, people have to migrate to urban areas in search of employment. With modern farming technology manpower needed in farming sector is decreased leading to Urbanization.

Urban areas are characterized by new technology, infrastructural development, better health care and medical facilities, liberalization and better standard of living. This induces people from backward and rural areas to move to urban areas.

The management of administration is also responsible for Urbanization. The government has not maintained the rapidity with city growth in terms of infrastructure management or spatial.

As compared to rural areas there are better education facilities available in urban areas. The schools and colleges providing professional education are all located in urban areas. Thus young girls and boys either alone or with their families shift to urban areas to seek quality education.

Poverty and economic degradation are the major problems rising with Urbanization that need serious attention. Planning and investment in sustainable industries, eco-friendly infrastructure and eco-friendly technology is essential. Encouraging the use of eco-friendly products and technology among the masses is vital. Creating more and more job opportunities and equality will help fight poverty.

Urbanization Essay 5 (600 Words)

Increase in the volume of total population in urban areas is called Urbanization. Rising population in urban areas creates rise in the demand of basic amenities such as food, health, transport and shelter in such areas. This contributes to the development of land for housing, economic support institutions, commercialization, transport and so on.

Problems Due to Urbanization

Given below are the problems that we face due to Urbanization:

• Overcrowding

Overcrowding means over population in the urban areas due to migration. Cities where the population is rising every single day are getting overcrowded. This is the current situation in all the big cities in India. Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore, Delhi are some of the examples of overcrowded cities.

When the population increases, the demand for housing also increases. The factors that are mainly responsible for the lack of housing facilities are lack of financial resources, poverty and unemployment.

• Unemployment

The chief cause of unemployment is over population in the urban areas due to migration of people from rural locations to these areas. The growth in economic opportunities fails to keep pace with growth in urban population.

The unplanned growth in the urban areas is growing the spread of slums. Rise in slum settlements in India is a striking feature. Urbanization, poverty and overpopulation, has increased the growth of slums as high rate of land and property in urban areas is beyond the reach of rural migrants and urban poor.

Large use of vehicles for transport has increased traffic congestion making the movement slow and difficult.

• Urban Crime

With the rise in urban population there is rise in poverty and unemployment. Due to poverty there is rise in crimes like theft, pick pocketing, cheating and murders.

• Air Pollution

Urbanization is a major cause of air pollution and global warming. Industries release greenhouse gases causing rise in the temperature of the earth and creating air pollution. Larger use of vehicles release gases by fuel combustion. Large amount of garbage from the landfills is burnt causing air pollution.

Water is the most important element of nature to sustain life. Due to overcrowding in the cities the supply of water is falling short compared to the demand.

• Trash Disposal

As the number of citizens grow in urban areas the problem of trash disposal rises. The large quantity of garbage in the cities increases severe health issues. In most of the areas in cities there is no garbage disposal facility. When the landfills get full innumerable poisons leak around its surroundings, inviting diseases, like malaria, diarrhoea, typhoid, etc. Air travel also carries bacteria from one person to another spreading disease even more.

Ways to Keep Urbanization in Check

Here are some ways to keep Urbanization in check:

The chief reason of Urbanization is the migration of people from rural areas to urban areas in search of employment opportunities. Developing agricultural and rural industries will provide employment opportunities in rural areas.

• Infrastructural Development in Rural Areas

Construction of roads, buildings, hospitals, parks, educational centres, etc. is vital for rural development. This will help rural people get better education and health care locally and also provide more job opportunities. Government should develop transport networks and related infrastructure.

• Overall Development

Industrial and private sector development in rural areas is necessary. The focus of government should be nationwide Urbanization. Planning and investment in Urbanization of rural areas is essential.

• Population Control

Over population is also a chief cause for Urbanization. Educating people about family planning and creating awareness among the rural communities is crucial.

• Global Warming

One of the major problems of Urbanization rapidly rising is global warming. Use of renewable energy sources like solar energy, wind energy, hydropower should be encouraged. Investments in energy efficient industries and technologies will lead to clean economy. Reforestation instead of deforestation should be promoted.

Urbanization is on a rapid increase in our country. While it is good that our country is progressing and that more and more people want to lead a modern life, get better education and good employment opportunities, Urbanization can have negative repercussions as well. It is thus essential to control Urbanization.

Related Information:

Essay on Population

Essay on Unemployment

Essay on Deforestation

Essay on Pollution due to Urbanization

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112 Urbanization Essay Topics, Questions, and Examples

🏆 best questions to ask about urbanization, ✍️ urbanization essay topics for college, 📌 discussion questions about urbanization, 👍 good research questions on urbanization, ❓ questions about urbanization.

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• Technology and Migration in the Industrial Urbanization The history of the United States has a life-changing period between the end of the nineteenth century and the middle of the twentieth – industrial urbanization.
• Information and History of Ecuador: Urbanization, Natural Resources and Politics Official Name: Republic of Ecuador Area: 272,046 square kilometers Official Language: Spanish Currency: US dollar Capital: Quito Largest City: Guayaquil Regime: Unitary presidentialconstitutional republic Constitution: August 10, 1998.
• United States History in 1864-1900 Years: Industrialization, Urbanization, and the Commercialization of Farming The Western frontier advanced in the years 1864 and 1900 by the establishment of democracy in America, industrialization, urbanization and the commercialization of farming.
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• Rapid Urbanization and Underdevelopment The essay through examples of the developing world and the developed world establishes the linkage between rapid urbanization and underdevelopment in both; the cities as well as the outlying peripheral areas.
• The Relationship Between the High Rate of Urbanization in Africa and AIDS Spread This movement results in to increase in the number of people in the towns and cities in a particular year. The increased social interaction of people in towns has led to increased HIV/AIDS infections in […]
• New Urbanism: The Problems of Urbanization The scales of differentiating private to public space include the following: spatial, degree of exclusivity and openness, and modes of social encounter.
• Aegean’s Urbanization: Technology and Pattern The intense trading activity in the Aegean region was also supported by the geographical positioning of the region near to the ocean so as to be accessible to the urban civilizations of the Near East.
• Agricultural Revolution and Changes to Ancient Societies in Terms of the State, Urbanization, and Labor This made the climate and soil more adaptable to plant growth and farming as some of the wild variants of barley and fruit began to grow in the region on their own.
• Rural Residents in “Rapid Urbanization” by Jennifer Weeks Research shows that many rural dwellers in developing nations move to towns and as cities struggle to accommodate the high growth, the rural residents often end up living in slums that are already teemed.
• Urbanization and Sub-Urbanization in the United States The exposition resulted in the creation of a beautiful urban space, and people acknowledged the benefits of city planning as well as the cooperation of different professionals.
• Urbanization Processes in Post-Socialist China To explain this phenomenon, this paper answers three questions what is the cost of forming this middle class what led to the emergence of this middle class how has the formation of the middle class […]
• Affirmative Action, Social Movements and Urbanization Affirmative action, according to Messerli, can be conceptualized as the preferential treatment of minorities in various aspects in the society. The following are some of the arguments supporting and opposing affirmative action in employment and […]
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• Industrialization, Urbanization, and Migration The beginning of the Industrial Revolution is shown both in the article and the book focusing on terrible working conditions in the factories.
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• Urban Economics: The Urbanization Process and its Effects However, the rate of urbanization started to increase in the late 20th century and by the beginning of the 21st century, a significant portion of the developing world’s population lived in urban settlements.
• How do Migration and Urbanization Bring About Urban Poverty in Developing Countries? When there is a high rate of rural to urban migration, there is pressure on the limited resources in the urban centers.
• History of Urbanization in Brazil in 1980 In addition, according to Morrison, “there is a disparity in term of salary or wage differentials, and therefore aspirations and lifestyles, among classes in the country”.
• Urbanization and Environment The resources can be identified through the acquisition of knowledge about the environmental conditions of the areas in which urban development is expected to take place.
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• Is Taiwan Urbanization Rate Growing? Urban & Rural Areas The ratio of the urban population to the total population determines the degree of Taiwanian urbanization. There has been a decline in the agricultural industry and this could be one of the ways to revive […]
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• What Are the Three Main Causes of Urbanization?
• What Are the Negative Impacts of Urbanization on the Environment?
• What Are the Five Problems That Can Come Out of Urbanization?
• What Are the Effect of Urbanization on Society?
• How Does Urbanization Affect Population?
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• How Does Urbanization Create Pollution?
• What Are the Six Environmental Impacts of Urbanization?
• What Are the Four Stages of Urbanization?
• What Is History of Urbanization?
• When Did Urbanization Become a Trend?
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• What Are the Three Reasons Why Urbanization Is Increasing?
• Does Population Mobility Contribute to Urbanization Convergence?
• How Has Urbanization Changed the World?
• What Is Evolution of Urbanization?
• Is Urbanization Increasing or Decreasing?
• What Are the Factors Affecting Urbanization?
• What Is the Most Important Feature of Urbanization?
• How Is the Pattern of Urbanization Changing?
• What Is the Pattern of Urbanization Around the World?
• What Is the Trend of Urbanization in India?
• What Is the Impact of Urbanization in India?
• Chicago (A-D)
• Chicago (N-B)

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• Pollution Due to Urbanisation Essay

Essay on Pollution Due to Urbanisation

Below, you will find an essay on pollution due to urbanisation (long) and also a short essay on pollution due to urbanisation. While urbanisation has its positives, it is imperative to look at every object according to its pros and cons. Here are two essays on pollution due to urbanisation of 400-500 words and 100-200 words, respectively. We will discuss the importance of urbanisation for countries, and how urbanisation is polluting the world.

Long Essay on Pollution Due to Urbanisation

Urbanisation is a great concept which is required to develop any country. It refers to the concept of urbanising remote areas by building infrastructure which then brings about development. Infrastructure refers to all the buildings and institutions which are necessary for economic development to take place in an area. For example, educational institutions like schools, colleges, vocational learning centres are part of the infrastructure. Healthcare facilities such as hospitals and clinics, employment opportunities, food security, etc. are also part of the infrastructure of a country.

It is seen very often that a big corporation sets up shop in a rural area, and around this, infrastructure is built, and development and urbanisation take place. Jamshedpur is an example of such a place, where Tata Industries set up shop many years ago and made the area highly developed. Thus, urbanisation definitely encourages the people of a place to have a better life by giving them more opportunities to achieve good life through education, jobs, etc.

On the other hand, it must be duly noted that urbanisation is one of the leading causes of pollution in today’s world. There are several different kinds of pollution, such as air pollution, water pollution, soil pollution and noise pollution. The facets of urbanisation contribute to each one of these types of pollution in one way or another. Factories and mines contribute to air pollution through the fumes that each of them emits into the air. The damage done to the water and soil around factories because of their flowing septic is harmful to both humans as well as aquatic life. Additionally, the noises that come from mines, the whirring of machinery in factories, etc. contribute to noise pollution.

Additionally, it is not only big industries that contribute to pollution due to urbanisation. Part of urbanisation is also the development of roads, which means more cars, buses, two-wheelers, three-wheelers, trucks, etc. on the road. These all contribute to noise pollution because of the incessant honking, and also to air pollution, because of the fumes that all motor vehicles emit. Even when we are stuck in traffic in an auto, it becomes difficult to breathe because of the fumes which surround us on the roads. If we are finding it difficult to breathe, imagine what so many fumes are doing to our planet.

Short Essay on Pollution Due to Urbanisation

150 Words Paragraph On Pollution Due to Urbanisation

Pollution takes place when air, water or soil becomes contaminated with unwanted substances. Air pollution takes place because of the fumes of factories and motor vehicles on th e road. Soil pollution and water pollution take place due to the septic waste being released into soil or water that surrounds a factory. Even oil spills are a major reason for water pollution, and all kinds of pollution can be very dangerous for living beings. Another type of pollution is noise pollution, which comes from the honking of cars, loud sounds in factories, the passing of aeroplanes and trains, etc.

Urbanisation is a result of the need to achieve economic development. It refers to when a relatively rural or remote area is made more urban by constructing roads, hospitals, schools, offices, etc. In this way, development is a result of urbanisation, which is extremely good for all countries.

However, all the great factors that urbanisation brings in, such as factories to work in, motor vehicles to drive, and so much more, all of these contribute to pollution more and more. Even though urbanisation is very important for a country, it is important to address all the kinds of pollution

Pollution is one of the most pressing concerns confronting our civilization today. When their environment deteriorates on a daily basis, humans face major challenges. The mixing of any toxic element or contaminants in our natural environment is referred to as pollution. Many contaminants are introduced into the natural environment as a result of human activities, contaminating it too dangerous proportions. Pollution is caused by a variety of factors, one of which is urbanisation.

The negative aspect of urbanisation is the manufacturers, which emit a great deal of pollution. Their equipment emits smoke into the environment, pollutes water streams and the surrounding land, and makes a lot of noise. As a result, there is a lot of pollution as a result of urbanisation, and it is extremely destructive to the environment when it first begins.

The majority of the pollution in our environment is due to urbanisation. It's because factories are springing up all over the place, there are a lot more cars on the road now, and so on.

Pollution Due to Urbanisation

Our mother planet is choking, and we are unable to do anything about it. Today, we confront several issues, one of which is pollution. Pollution occurs when a contaminating substance is introduced into our environment and pollutes our natural resources. There are numerous causes of pollution, most of which are caused by humans. Natural resources and habitats have been depleted as a result of our activities.

Urbanisation is one of the primary causes of human pollution. Pollution levels began to rise when humans began to construct cities and industrialization developed. Human needs continue to expand, and we loot our mother planet to meet them. As a result of development, many beautiful valleys, mountains, hilltop stations, and woods have become pollution carriers. Trees have been felled, rivers and lakes have been poisoned, and natural reserves have been exploited.

As a result, we now live in severely polluted cities where daily life has become increasingly challenging. As a result of urban pollution, we are experiencing a variety of health issues, the worst part of which is that we are fully unconscious of it. It is past time for us to take steps to reduce pollution and make the world a better place for future generations.

Urbanisation is a really great step forward for any country, and it is and should be the main aim of all countries. All people around the world should have access to proper healthcare, education, sanitation, nourishment and safety, and urbanisation is how we can help achieve this goal. However, in the process of meeting this goal, we cannot forget that pollution due to urbanisation does take place, and is very dangerous for the planet and, therefore, all species living on earth in the long run.

FAQs on Pollution Due to Urbanisation Essay

1. What are the pros and cons of urbanisation according to the essay on pollution due to urbanisation?

The essay on pollution due to urbanisation says that urbanisation is good and is vital for a country, but can also be harmful for the environment. Urbanisation brings in better education, better healthcare facilities, better roads, and better infrastructure in general. However, it improves the lifestyles of human beings at the cost of hurting the environment by putting more contaminants into air, water and soil in the form of toxic fumes and septic waste. Thus, urbanisation is important, but it has to be brought about in a more sustainable manner.

2. How can we reduce pollution due to urbanisation?

At the individual level, there are some very simple ways to reduce pollution due to urbanisation. To reduce air pollution, we can choose to walk, carpool, or use public transport instead of taking a taxi. Garbage should not be thrown on roads and in water bodies, in order for us to stop soil and water pollution. We should also not honk on roads unnecessarily, to curb noise pollution. Unless the big companies and industries do not decide to take a stand and do what’s good for the environment, we will have to keep relying only on individual measures.

3. What are the different types of pollution and their causes?

Pollution in Cities: Types and Causes

Air Pollution: The air in metropolitan places is constantly polluted with harmful compounds, making breathing increasingly dangerous. The air in cities is suffocating. The air is polluted by smoke from autos, factories, and power plants. There are also other contaminants in the air, such as chemical spills and other harmful substances.

Water Pollution: Natural water supplies are becoming increasingly scarce in metropolitan areas, and those that do exist are becoming progressively contaminated. There is a lot of waste dumping in lakes and rivers, such as residential and industrial waste. A lot of trash is washed into the rivers when it rains.

Soil Pollution: Toxic mixtures in the soil are causing ecosystem disruption.

Noise Pollution: Cities are among the noisiest places on the planet. Noise pollution is caused by a variety of sources, including traffic noises, loudspeakers, and other undesirable noises, which cause a variety of health problems.

Radioactive Pollution:   Nuclear power facilities' unintentional leaks represent a serious concern.

Visual Pollution: Signs, billboards, screens, high-intensity lights, and other forms of overexposure to sights in cities can also be highly unsettling.

There is also ' Thermal pollution ,' which is created by an excess of heat trapped in the earth's atmosphere.

4. How can pollution due to urbanisation be controlled?

One can implement the following methods to reduce pollution caused by urbanisation: 

Conserve Energy: People in urban areas always use more energy than people in rural areas. The use of energy results in numerous types of pollution. One of the most effective strategies to reduce pollution is to conserve energy wherever possible. When you are not using an electrical appliance, turn it off. This tiny step can make a tremendous difference.

Reduce water waste: We waste a lot of water on a daily basis, which might have negative implications. We must make every effort to utilize as little water as possible.

Plant more trees: Urban areas are the ones with the least amount of greenery. It's a good idea to have a kitchen garden and a little lawn near your house.

Green belts: The government can assist by declaring specific sections in each city as green belts, allowing trees and other plants to flourish freely.

Use fewer loudspeakers: Using fewer loudspeakers can significantly minimise noise pollution. It's also a good idea to turn down the music level at functions after a specific amount of time has passed.

Indoors: In cities, home interiors are likewise heavily contaminated. We must also have some plants inside our homes to filter the polluted indoor air.

Industrial trash: Factory owners must make every effort to avoid dumping industrial waste in lakes or rivers. The government can also enact legislation in this regard.

5.  What problems are caused due to Urbanization?

The necessity for open space to develop roads, buildings, and bridges, among other things, resulted in widespread deforestation. To accommodate the ever-increasing population, trees were cut down, fields were cleared, and built new space. It goes without saying that tree cutting is a major source of pollution. The high population density resulted in a scarcity of everything, including space and natural resources such as water and coal.

A number of serious challenges have arisen as a result of the interaction of the urban population with the environment. The spending habits and lifestyles of the urban people had a significant impact on the environment. Consumption of food, energy, and water is all higher in cities. Cities have much more filthy air than rural areas. This is mainly due to the increased use of automobiles and the expansion of industries and factories that pollute the air.  We utilise electricity to power almost all of our equipment.

6. What is urbanisation, and how is it caused?

The population shift from rural to urban regions, the resulting decline in the number of people living in rural areas, and the methods in which societies adjust to this transition are all referred to as urbanisation. It is basically the process by which towns and cities evolve and grow as more people choose to live and work in central locations.

Individual, community and state activity result in either organic or planned urbanisation. Living in a city can be culturally and economically advantageous since it can provide more options for access to the labour market, better education, housing, and safety conditions, as well as lower commute and transit time and costs. A healthy urban environment is characterised by density, proximity, diversity, and marketplace rivalry. However, there are also negative social consequences associated with urban living, such as alienation, stress, higher living costs, and mass marginalisation. Suburbanization, which is occurring in the greatest developing countries' cities, can be seen as an attempt to balance these negative aspects of city living while still giving access to a huge number of shared resources.

7. What is the Impact of Urbanisation in Indian Cities?

The following are the main effects of urbanisation on environmental quality in Indian cities:

According to the entire slum population in India in 1991, 41 per cent of the overall slum population lived in cities with populations of one million or more, which account for 27 percent of the country's total population.

According to the current situation of municipal solid trash creation and collection situation in Indian metropolitan cities, Maharashtra creates the most municipal solid garbage (11,000 tonnes per day), followed by Delhi (8700 tonnes per day) in 2019, both of which are expected to rise in the near future.

In India and other Metropolitan Cities, the number of automobiles on the road is increasing.

In India and other metropolitan cities, the number of automobiles on the road has increased. The usage of vehicles has increased by 10% or more on average, posing a significant threat to air pollution.

Water resources are dwindling day by day as a result of rising population, wasteful usage, and a lack of conservation. Huge amounts of wastewater enter rivers as cities and industries grow, contaminating river streams that are used for drinking and other reasons.