1. Contrasting Megacities
• Destinations for newcomers (inner city or
shanty town) and movers (suburbanisation)

2. What is the ‘developed’ and
‘developing’ world split?
Contrasting Megacities

3. Mega city or World city?
• Megacity – a city with a population of over 8
million people. E.g. Mumbai or Paris.
• World City – cities of power based on
trade, political strength, innovation and
communication. E.g. London or New York.
• Cities can be both a mega city and a
world city e.g. Paris or London.
Contrasting Megacities

4. Megacities are all different. This is due
to a number of different reasons;
1. Development
Many of Asia's cities are centres of wealth, Africa’s centres of poverty.
2. Migrant
Some skilled, entrepreneurial and young whilst some are poorer, older
and forced to migrate.
3. Growth characteristics
City growth by natural increase or migration?
4. Planning
Asian cities planned, African unplanned (lack of planners and
overwhelming poverty)
5. Rate of Population Growth
Varies; 2-4% in Latin America, 4-8% in African and Asian cities.
6. Urban Processes
Different processes occurring in different cities. …
Contrasting Megacities

5. Urban Processes
a) Urban growth – physical growth of cities.
b) Urban Sprawl – uncontrollable growth of cities into
surrounding rural land.
c) Suburbanisation (LEDC cities) – when wealthy live
often in gated communities to escape crime, poverty
and pollution from the CBD. Common in South Africa.
d) Counter Urbanisation (MEDC cities) – movement of
people out of city to rural area.
e) Reurbanisation (MEDC cities) – Attempts to
regenerate cities, especially in Asian cities.
All of these processes are linked to the cycle of
urbanisation;
Contrasting Megacities

6. The cycle of Urbanisation
Contrasting Megacities

7. World Urbanisation Types (p150)
• Immature developing cities
• Consolidating Cities
• Maturing Cities
• Established Cities
Contrasting Megacities

8. Immature ( Lagos)

10. Consolidating – Cairo

11. Consolidating

12. Maturing (Mexico City

13. Maturing – Mexico City

14. Established – London

15. Established

16. Contrasting Mega Cities case studies:
London (UK, Europe) and Mumbai (India, Asia)
1. London
– Established City
– 8M inhabitants
– Main migrants are international into the city.
– Dominant process of counter urbanisation and re-
urbanisation.
Contrasting Megacities

17. Reasons for the growth of London
suburbs
1. Transport
For suburbs to develop excellent transport networks are needed.
The underground, overland trains, buses and now even bike
hire means that it is easy to get from the suburbs into the city
centre. In London the average commute is 40mins. Video here
2. Increasing Wealth
Increase in service sector meant increase in wealth. Therefore
more people owned homes and wanted a larger one for family
in the suburbs.
3. Households
There has been an increase in the size and number of households
as more young people marry later. Older people living
longer, occupying larger houses for longer.
Contrasting Megacities

18. Reasons for the growth of London
suburbs
4. New Towns
Watch this video and make notes
5. Shorter working hours
Working a shorter day means that people are willing to
travel further. This means that their day will not be
unreasonably long.
6. Government funding
In the 1920’s central government encouraged more local
authorities to build new social housing schemes
(council housing).
Contrasting Megacities

19. Contrasting Mega Cities case studies:
London (UK, Europe) and Mumbai (India, Asia)
• London
• Make notes on London
and its growth using two
sources;
1. The photocopied
handout.
2. The GeoFact Sheet.
Contrasting Megacities