Urban Geography PDF

As cities grow, urbanization, gentrification, and segregation lead to social inequalities Lecture 1: Introduction to Urban Geography Urbanization: - people moving from rural to urban areas leading to growth of cities - Driven by economic, technological and demographic factors - Urbanizatio...

As cities grow, urbanization, gentrification, and segregation lead to social inequalities Lecture 1: Introduction to Urban Geography Urbanization: - people moving from rural to urban areas leading to growth of cities - Driven by economic, technological and demographic factors - Urbanization has transformed the modern world, with more people now living in cities more than ever Differences between MDW and LDW: - MDW: urbanization occurred earlier, and cities are highly organized - LDW: urbanization is rapid and often unplanned, leading to the rise of informal settlements (slums). Cities as Social Space: - Urban areas reflect social relationships, power dynamics, and inequalities. - Housing and neighborhoods reflect larger social inequalities in income, ethnicity, and class. Lecture 2: Cultural Globalization and Urban Change Cultural Globalization: - spread and integration of cultures on a global scale - Leads to homogenization of cultural practices, values, and identities. - In cities, cultural globalization can result in cities adopting similar features (e.g., international chain stores, similar architecture). Advantages: - Increased understanding and connectivity - spread of innovation, shared global culture. Disadvantages: - Loss of local cultural identities - Cultural homogenization, and dominance of certain cultures (Westernization). Impact on Cities: - cities may become more uniform, they may also lose unique local character. - Urban inequality can worsen if certain cultural groups dominate others. Debate on Single Culture: - Could simplify communication and collaboration, - Loss of cultural diversity - Lecture 3: Social Inequality in Urban Spaces Social inequalities in cites: - Cities often exhibit extreme social inequalities - Economic restructuring has led to wealth being concentrated in certain areas while others are left behind. Residential segregation: - Physical separation of different social groups within a city - Due to income differences, ethnic or cultural divides, or even discriminatory practices like redlining. Types of segregation: 1. Congregation: choose to live together (chinatown) 2. Involuntary segregation: forced to live together due to discrimination (ghettos) Types of residential areas: 1. Enclaves: voluntary 2. Ghettos: involuntary 3. Colonies: temporary or new settlements Lecture 4: Gentrification and residential mobility Gentrification: - Wealthier people move in, and the poor are displaced Consequences: - Pros: economic investment, improved infrastructure, better services - Cons: displacement of lower-income residents, loss of cultural diversity, increased inequality Government incentives: - Economic growth but creates displacement and social inequality Residential mobility: - Push: lack of jobs, poor housing conditions - Pull: better schools, more amenities Filtering: - occurs when housing is passed down through income groups - Typically downward filtering when wealthier people move out and poorer people move in Lecture 5: informal settlements and the informal sector Informal settlements (slums): - LDW - Places of despair but also hope - Affordable housing - Lack basic services - Governments face challenge to remove slums (causes displacement) or improve conditions (leads to higher rents and eventual gentrification) Informal sector: - Operate outside official regulations - Essential for survival of people in LDW - As cities grow, so does Informal sector Growth of informal economies: - As cities grow informal sector grows Urban planning challenges: - Cities must navigate the complexities of informal settlement, balancing development with the need to protect vulnerable populations