Urbanisation - how cities differ in LEDCs from those in MEDCs.

Urbanisation is the process of intense city growth due to prolific economic activities around the city core. The word urban or urban living can be traced to the original latin word - urbs: meaning a city. Urbanisation means the radical transformation of society and a deep-seated change in human psychology where the environment has made him more aware of the isolation of the individuals and his growing mobility through the modern transportation system and choice of employments.One of the most significant events affecting the geography of the developing world in the last 50 years has been the large-scale migration of people from the countryside to the towns and cities. This process is called Urbanisation. Urbanisation is basically the process by which more and more people live in towns and cities. Urbanisation is also the process of change from a rural society in which people lived in scattered to villages to an urban society in which people live in densely populated centres. The definitions of what is or is not urban differ from one country to another.

Prior to 1950 the majority of urbanisation occurred in MEDCs (more economically developed countries). Rapid urbanisation took place during the period of industrialisation that took place in Europe and North America in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Many people moved from rural to urban areas to get jobs in the rapidly expanding industries in many large towns and cities. But soon after the major wave of enthusiasm has ended people began to recognize the huge disadvantages of living in the crowded cities, health issues such as respiratory disease due to air pollution or sewage and clean water issues forced and drove many people back to the outermost parts of the city. Since 1950 urbanisation has slowed in most MEDCs, and now some of the biggest cities are losing population as people move away from the city to rural environments. This is known as counter-urbanisation. Counter-urbanisation is the movement of people out of cities, to the surrounding areas. Since 1950 this process has been occurring in MEDCs (More Economically Developed Countries). There are many push and pull factors behind it.The increase in car ownership over the last 40 years means people are more mobile. This has led to an increase in commuting. Also, the growth in information technology (E-mail, faxes and video conferencing) means more people can work from home. Urban areas are becoming increasing unpleasant place to live. This is the result of pollution, crime and traffic congestion. More people tend to move when they retire.New business parks on the edge of cities (on Greenfield sites) mean people no longer have to travel to the city centre. People now prefer to live on the outskirts of the city to be near where they work. An example of Counterurbanisation is Detroit where between 1950 and 1990 core city population fell by half and moved to the edge. As only wealthier people are able to afford the daily transportation cost and housing cost inthe suburbs and along the green belt of London, the poor stays in the innermost part aroud the Cbd in old and worn ourt buildings. An example of similar situation is London where core is poor and black, edge city is white and wealthy. The another process of urbanisation occuring in MEDCs is Re-urbanization in which people move into areas in the urban zone's which have previously been abandoned, which usually occurs after a regeneration scheme is used for that area. An example of it is London Docklands In the 1980's the Docklands development corporation took the task of regenerating of London Docklands. At the end, they were able to Physically, Socially, Economically and environmentally regenerate the docklands.But the procees of urbanisation in LEDCs is different than in MEDCs behind the urbanization and expansion of cities is Rural-urban migration which has resulted in the rapid growth of large cities. There are many pull and push factors for the Rural-urban migration. In developing coutries lots of people move from coutryside to the city as in the coutryside they are pushed out due to poverty, lack of education facilities or natural disastors. The cities pull them in with the chance of a better job, range of services and facilities. People living in rural areas are pushed out of the countryside because of infertile land or small area to farm, limited job opportunities, poor transport links etc.