Competency 2: Take a position

Due December 1 or 2: 5-paragraph essay (about 400-500 words) about rapid urbanisation and its problems in developing countries, using the document booklet, class readings and notes. Late assignments will lose marks.

There is more to understand about urbanisation than simple population growth. It involves changes in the economic, social and political structures of a region. Rapid urban growth is responsible for many environmental and social changes in the urban environment and its causes are closely related to global change issues. The rapid growth of cities strains their ability to provide services (infrastructure) such as energy, education, health care, transportation, sanitation and physical security. Governments in developing countries have less revenue to spend on the basic upkeep of cities and the provision of services; thus cities have become areas of massive sprawl, serious environmental problems, and widespread poverty.

Developed and less developed countries of the world differ not only in the number living in cities, but also in the way in which urbanisation is occurring. In Mexico City (950 square miles), as in many other megacities in the developing world, the worst aspects of uncontrolled urban sprawl exists as the development of slum areas. Nearly 40% of city dwellers live in the urban periphery in poverty and environmental degradation. These "shantytowns" are often highly polluted owing to the lack of urban services, including running water, trash pickup, electricity or paved roads. Regardless of the conditions, cities provide to rural migrants more opportunities and greater access to resources to transform their situation.

Remember: Developing countries share several common characteristics but they also may differ in various aspects. Thus, keep your explanation of developing countries simple and general.

Below are some links you might find interesting or useful when writing your essay, or simply for your edification:

United Nations Environment Program: Urban issues (some good short points)
Slum Survivors, pt. 1
Slum Survivors, pt. 2
PBS Urbanization and Dhaka
Dhaka: Megacity
Mexico City: Megacity
Fear of slum demolition in India

A more difficult reading from The Economist: Cities and growth.

A recent article about the "megalopolis" to which I introduced you - it exists! And they seem to be getting smaller... read about Bos-Wash, 50 years after the term was coined.

Soweto:

And if you like intelligent lyricists, look up the Talking Heads song, "Nothing But Flowers." An example of irony, with regard to urban sprawl...