Question – Define Urbanization. Discuss the problems caused by fast pace of urbanization.
- February 14, 2023
- Posted by: Pallavi Singh
- Category: Blog
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Answer –
Urbanization involves a complex set of economic, demographic, social, cultural, technological, and environmental processes that result in an increase in the proportion of the population of a territory that lives in towns and cities, an increased concentration of population in the larger settlements of the territory, and an increasing density of population within urban settlements.
The problems caused by fast pace of urbanization are High population density, inadequate infrastructure, lack of affordable housing, flooding, pollution, slum creation, crime, congestion and poverty. The rapid population growth has led to an acute shortage of dwelling units which resulted to overcrowding, traffic congestion, pollution, housing shortages (slum and squatter housing), high rents, poor urban living conditions, low infrastructure services, poverty, unemployment, and poor sanitation which has become pervasive and indeed high crime rate etc.
Flooding is a very serious problem faced in urban areas, especially in developing countries, during the rainy seasons. The drainage is poorly constructed leading to difficulty in accessing the roads due to the flood leading to the flood disaster in some developing countries.
The growth of slums in cities is one of the serious problems created by the rapid industrialization and urbanization.
The increase in population leads to an increase in crime rate. Due to the high level of urban unemployment, idleness and joblessness, this has brought about a high increase in crime rates suffered by the majority of the people in Urban cities.
Way forward :-
As we move forward in the 21st century, the global population is likely to continue growing. Urban areas will continue to grow with the population. By 2050, it is projected that two-thirds of the urban population will be living in urban areas, that are close to 7 billion people in cities alone.
Sustainable, planned, and eco-friendly cities should get more boost and legal backing as well. More investments can be encouraged for green living and other urban initiatives for sustainable landscapes. Every resident should be able to access all the services, without discrimination of any kind. A bottom-up approach can be adopted to better understand unique challenges faced by the urban poor and worked upon.