Urbanization is defined as the population’s increasing in urban areas (Learn on the Internet, 2008, P8). As a reflection of population’s migration from rural areas to urban areas, urbanization usually appears when a country is still developing. The majority of urbanization occurred in developed countries prior to 1950, but the most rapid growth in urbanization has occurred in developing countries since 1950 (Learn on the Internet, 2008, P8). Nearly one third of the world’s population lived in urban areas as recently as 1975, but the proportion will rise to almost two thirds by 2025 (World Resources Institute, 1997, P19). Urbanization has caused a range of problems in recent years and numerous governments want to slow down urban growth in order to minimize social upheaval. Notwithstanding the costs, urbanization also has many benefits. This essay will enumerate some of the benefits and the costs of urbanization. In the first place, it will enumerate and weigh up the economic benefits and the costs. In the second place, it will discuss the environmental benefits and costs. Finally, a conclusion about urbanization will be given.
To begin with, two important benefits of urbanization are economic growth and higher standards of living. Urbanization is linked tightly to economic growth and it is an important part of the process that countries progress from agricultural to industrial economies. Initially, cities are products of commerce and manufacturing in the modern world. The Economist (2008, P14) states that cities in different grades such as market towns, second cities and metropolises have their own functions. Beyond that, cities create demand for goods and services and thus increased demand for labour. People are more likely to find well paid jobs in cities and they can also find particular kinds of works with less restriction (Learn on the Internet, 2008, P8). Furthermore, change and challenge originates from the splendid access to information, the multiculture, as well as the creativity and innovation, all of which results from urbanization (World Resources Institute, 1997, P19).
