Marina Alberici
Anth101
Urbanization
Urbanization is the process of life for many and the desired way of life for many others. Human beings both inhabit urban and rural areas today all over the world. Many people may be disappointed with the development of an increasing number of urban areas. Many peoples once rural areas are now swallowed up directly as cities sprawl outward. The effects of urbanization both positive and negative get examined in the following paragraphs. In addition, who is most effected by urbanization and who plays a role in preventing and/or properly planning development will also be revealed. Anthropology wears many hats in the world today. Human society gets impacted directly by the decisions made by countries or government agencies with the assistance of anthropologist. Let’s begin to examine where we are and where we are going with urbanization.
Human societies live in settlements that get classified as rural or urban. Urban areas include human created structures and there are more residents that inhabit the area. Rural or country areas often develop randomly. Natural vegetation and land availability often play a significant role in determining human settlement in rural regions. Increasing the amount of rural areas becomes the focus of agencies and the government. Many urban areas were once rural areas before becoming developed. Urban areas include advanced civic amenities. Opportunities such as education, transportation, business, and social interface all typically increase in urban areas. Natural resources and natural events are often the basis for settlement in rural areas. Urban areas receive benefits of manmade advancements.
Sciences and technology are playing an increasing role in day to day society functioning properly. Urban areas do not go as the sun goes, rising and falling according to natural light. Businesses are open late, and some stay open 24-hours a day. Rural areas do not encounter some of the problems that urban areas do. Rural areas have less population, traffic, and pollution to deal with daily. Urban areas are classified based on population and land use; however, this can differ depending on whether the countries developed or developing. Urban areas become settlements over time. There are strategic plans laid out that with expectations to be followed properly. Urbanization is the process of building up settlements according to proper planning (Difference Between Urban and Rural, 2012).
Urbanization in and of itself requires a significant number of people to plan, develop, build, and maintain designated area. With that understanding, urbanization can result in positive and negative effects. There are some distinctive outcomes strictly seen as positive, some consequences that solely seen as negative, and some affects that have beneficial as well as an adverse effect, which coincide.
Economic opportunities lead people to urban areas and drives urbanization to continue to grow. Wealth can be found centralized in the urban areas and people come, live, stay in hopes of creating fortunes. Many jobs get created to build new homes and business. Once those new homes and buildings get constructed they need to be filled. Production is at heightened levels in urban areas. This includes products and services for the community as well as global market places. There is competition which leaves people with many options and keeps the price low.
Urbanization also leads to efficiency and convenience. More families are able to live in a smaller area which maximizes land use. This includes several houses on a block or several families in a building complex. Less effort is necessary to provide water, heat, energy, and trash disposal to residents. In addition, recycling programs help to reduce and reuse resources. Convenience is often as close as the front door or nearest next block. Urbanization provides several options to access services. Education is abundant, and many different routes are available in urban areas. Social services get offered to communities with easy access. Transportation options in urban areas leads to employment options as well as the ability to develop urbanization further (Urbanization It’s Causes, Effects and Benefits, 2010).
For all the benefits that can be seen as a result of urbanization, there are several negative consequences that have resulted. As previously mention with a larger population helping to sustain and improve urbanization, overpopulation has many negative effects. An estimated 100 million people worldwide are homeless or lived in subpart homes. Urban areas experience high levels of housing issues and suffer higher levels (compared to non-urbanized) of safety and crime issues. An increase in urban violence gets noticed all over the world over the past couple decades. Cites and countries spend millions of dollars in police and fire protection.
Urban resident’s health gets significantly impacted by urbanization. Pollution is one key contributing fact that often results from urbanization. There are many sorts of pollution produced such as exhaust from an automobile and factory/industry deposits. Pollution affects the air we breathe and/or the water we come in contact. Urban poor currently get considered to be at the greatest risk of any other group of people in the world. Illness and disease get transmitted much easier in smaller condensed areas such as in poor urban neighborhoods. An increased amount of waste and problems with sewage systems does not contribute to healthy living environments either. It can be extraordinarily difficult to manage infrastructure at supreme levels with demand and requirements increasing so rapidly (Habitat Unit 5: Text, n.d.).
Land use plays a role in the effects of urbanization too. There is an increase in traffic which can lead to increased stress, accidents, and travel times. Development tends to increase the frequency and size of floods. Flood damage is usually worse, as a result, on men’s use of natural earth. Impermeable surfaces get created which include sewers, storm sewers, bridges, and channelization. Channels, bridges, and other impermeable surfaces obstruct and narrow otherwise natural floodplains. Deforestation is another form of land use that can lead to increased floods and waste of natural resources. Forest soils natural soak up waters that otherwise accumulate. Urbanization damages or destroys land used for parks, agriculture, and open areas. Once it is gone it is often impossible to get back in natural form.
There are effects seen with urbanization that are both positive and negative. There have been government guidelines established to assist with planning, growth, and developments that have taken place. With those current guidelines in place, various groups and agencies continue to come up with additional solutions to minimize urbanization and the negative effects that can accompany it. Setting growth boundaries (e.g. parks, farmland, open spaces) to protect land and use is one solution. Other such solutions would include the promotion of public transportation, changing tax policies designed to help urbanization growth, remodeling old structures (e.g. schools) instead of constructing new ones, and restriction of land use in floodplain areas (Urbanization and Global Change, 2006).
Urbanization is a trend which spans worldwide. The effects of urbanization are most pronounced in megacities. Current growth rates continue to increase in the populated countries of Asia, India, and Africa. An example according to the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements reveals megacities (urban areas) are growing annually at a rate of 7 percent (Smrcka, 2010). Weather for economic improvement and/or social reasons, migrates tend to settle in larger cities. There has been a steady increase in urban living since the Industrial revolution. In 2008, at least 50 percent of the world’s population was living in urban cities. By 1999, More Developed Countries were 76 percent urbanized. The Less Developed Countries (LDCs) were 39 percent urbanized. However, the urbanization growth effects are more pronounced in LDCs. Millions of people migrate per week in the countries of Asia and Africa to the cities. This leads to a more profound effect in LDCs as compared with MDCs. With ever increasing numbers of people populating these LDCs, social services are at risk. The urban areas become overpopulated, and slums develop creating water shortages and sanitation issues. Negative effects including crime and pollution of water/air increase. The most severe effects get felt in LCDs (Kottak, 424-425)
Applied anthropology can contribute enormously to urban planning. Anthropologists face ethical issues when it comes to urbanization. Sometimes business seek them to help with development plans. The focus is on development and how to increase profit for the client. On the other hand, sometimes they get contracted to prevent development. The focus is then on protecting local people, cultures, and land. Development anthropology is a branch that also contributes to urban planning. The focus is on social, cultural, and economic dimensions. Equality gets promoted in efforts to control and reduce poverty (Kottak, 418).
As urbanization now spans the globe, many anthropologists study the effects that get created. Urban anthropology is research based with studies focused on life in the cities (Kottak, 425). Applied anthropologists have varying employers. Many work for government agencies, while others work for development organizations. Some applied anthropologist work on a more local level representing tribal, ethnic, and interest groups. In addition, school, hospitals, and other social services use the knowledge of applied anthropologist. Since applied anthropologist come from all subfields of anthropology, their services should and do contribute significantly to urban planning (Kottak, 436).
It is exceedingly apparent that since the Industrial Revolution human societies are increasingly becoming urbanized. Increased urbanization has led to several effects that are both positive and negative on the people which whom reside in the area. A higher level of production offers economic rewards to many who participate. The products and services are abundant in urban areas. Options are always increasing and prices remain low due to competition. Competition for resources can also lead to crime. Deforestation and other land use can result in pollution of water and air as well as loss of natural resources. Urbanization spans the world; however is most pronounced in Less Developed Countries (LDCs). Although the percentage of people living in urban areas of More Developed Countries (MDCs) is higher, effects get felt more in the LDCs, as millions migrate weekly. Applied anthropologist and all the subfields can and do contribute to urbanization. The economic forces driving most growth must be researched and planned properly, or the negative effects could soon exceed the positives. A significant applied anthropological approach becomes needed. As human beings, we all have a hand in preserving Earth.
Works Cited
Difference Between Urban and Rural | Difference Between | Urban vs Rural. (2012). Difference http://www.differencebetween.net/miscellaneous/difference-between-urban-and-rural/
Habitat Unit 5: Text. (n.d.). UN News Center. Retrieved April 07, 2012, from http://www.un.org/cyberschoolbus/habitat/units/un05txt.asp
Kottak, C. P. (2012). Window on humanity: A concise introduction to anthropology. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.
Smrcka, K. (2010, April 23). Effects of urbanisation to be most pronounced in megacities. Engineering News. Retrieved April 07, 2012, from http://www.engineeringnews.co.za/article/effects-of-urbanisation-to-be-most-pronounced-in-mega-cities-2010-04-23
Urbanization and Global Change. (2006, January 04). The Global Change Program at the University of Michigan. Retrieved April 07, 2012, from http://www.globalchange.umich.edu/globalchange2/current/lectures/urban_gc/
Urbanization It’s Causes,Effects and Benefits. (2010, July 01). Why Articles. Retrieved April 07, 2012, from http://www.whyarticles.com/urbanization-its-causeseffects-and-benefits/