Rural vs Urban Comparison and Employment Types

This section contrasts rural and urban environments, highlighting the factors that drive urbanization. It also introduces different types of employment found in urban areas.

Rural areas are characterized by:

• Few opportunities
• Poor healthcare
• Low pay
• Difficult work
• Low level of education

In contrast, urban areas offer:

• Many more jobs
• Better pay
• Better education
• Better healthcare
• Better housing
• Modern lifestyle
• Many more opportunities

Definition: Formal employment refers to jobs that pay taxes and provide workers with job security and legal protection (e.g., health and safety laws). These jobs are often hard to obtain in developing countries.

Definition: Informal employment includes jobs that are not regulated, pay no taxes, and are not protected by law. These jobs are typically easier to get but offer less security.

This comparison helps explain the urbanisation process in geography paper 1 GCSE by illustrating the push and pull factors influencing rural-urban migration.

Stages of City Development and Megacity Structure

This section outlines the stages of city development and introduces the Burgess Model for understanding megacity structure.

The stages of city development are described as follows:

1. The central business district (CBD) is located where the city first developed and where all major roads join.
2. A manufacturing zone develops around the CBD.
3. New migrants live in the inner city zone where housing is poor but cheap and close to their jobs.
4. Developing public transport allows richer people to live further out in suburbs.

Highlight: The Burgess Model is presented as a way to understand megacity structure.

The Burgess Model divides the city into concentric zones:

• Central Business District (CBD)
• Factories
• Low-class residential
• Medium-class residential
• High-class residential

This model helps illustrate the spatial organization of different urban functions and socio-economic groups within a megacity, which is crucial for understanding the challenges of megacities in an urbanising world.

Megacity Living: Contrasts in Mumbai

This final section highlights the stark contrasts within Mumbai, showcasing both extreme poverty and wealth.

Key points about living in Mumbai:

• Dharavi is a well-known slum area in Mumbai
• Andheri is a popular middle-class suburb
• Mumbai is home to Asia's largest slum
• The city also boasts one of the world's most expensive single-family homes
• Mumbai's railway station is one of the busiest in the world

Example: The contrast between Dharavi slum and the world's most expensive single-family home in Mumbai illustrates the extreme inequality within megacities.

The document notes that squatter settlements often develop close to the city center, where the poorest people tend to live. This proximity to urban centers is often due to the need for access to employment opportunities.

These contrasts within Mumbai exemplify the complex socio-economic landscape of megacities and the challenges of managing urban growth and inequality. This information is crucial for understanding the challenges of megacities in an urbanising world and is often featured in Challenges of an Urbanising World Past Papers.

Location and Structure of Mumbai

This page focuses on Mumbai as a case study of a megacity, examining its location, structure, and growth.

Key points about Mumbai's location and structure:

• It has one of the deepest natural harbors in the world, giving it significant advantages as a major port on the Arabian Sea.
• The city was originally built on seven islands, which has constrained its growth and made land very expensive.
• New Mumbai was developed on the mainland from 1971 to accommodate expansion.

Mumbai's growth is characterized by:

• Suburbs spreading along railway routes and onto the mainland
• Industrial sectors moving away from the old city center

Definition: A megacity is defined as a city with a population of 10+ million.

This case study of Mumbai provides concrete examples of the challenges of megacities in an urbanising world, particularly in terms of spatial constraints and the need for planned expansion.