Migration – Why Do Cities Grow

AS Geography

Thinking of the DTM...

• At What stage do you feel people began to migrate to cities?

• Why Do cities grow?

Why did cities grow?

• Increase in natural population growth• Net migration from rural areas• Rural depopulation• Industrialisation

• So why do people move to cities?

Reasons to move?

• To find work• Earn money to send home (Remittances)• Shortage of land, food or opportunities is

rural areas• Freedom from traditional rural society• Pull of the bright lights• War, Natural disasters• Hope to receive support from Govt or

NGO’s in the event of food shortages

You can categorise migration into Push and pull factors

1. Physical

2. Demographic

3. Economic

4. Social

5. Political

Birth Rates always fall when people migrate to cities... WHY?

• Education levels are higher especially for girls

• Children are less economically advantageous

• Large families can be a drag on economic progress for newcomers

• Generally not the same extended family structure

How are Death Rates affected then?

• Housing – often poor quality when under rapid growth but generally improves later

• Water – Has a similar issue• Sewage Treatment – Again is poor but

improves• Food Supply – Often better than rural

areas because cities are centre for storage and distribution

• Health Care – Can be better than rural areas

Cities Depend on Wealth

• Often huge ranges of income in cities and access to services.

• This is still apparent today in many societies around the globe

• Can you think of areas where wealth plays a part?

TYPES OF MIGRATION

Forced Migration

• Religious or political persecution, war, natural disaster, forced labour or famine

Voluntary

• Climate• Employment• Family• Better services

Internal Migration

• Migration within countries• Moving house• Urban to urban• Urban to rural• Rural to urban• Such as Pioneer advances across USA

1800’s +

International Migration

• Voluntary• Colonisation of countries such as the USA

upto around 1924• Most is now forced due to the tightening of

immigrant policy

Lee’s Model 1966

• Does not isolate push pull factors• Looks at attributes for each place • Decisions based on personal factors reliant on 1. Age2. Gender3. Marital Status4. Education5. Socio-economic class• Some are positive factors some are seen as negative

others as neutral all this influences personal decision making process

• Lee’s model introduces a refinement to push pull factors

• Intervening Obstacles Both real or perceived

• International boundaries, language, anxieties etc.

Consequences of Migration

Overview

Demographic Consequences

• Changes in the numbers and distribution of people within a region are changed.

• Intermarriages are created, leading to a new group of people.

Social Consequences

• Migration brings different people together leading to conflicts.

• Migration however also creates understanding between different groups of people.

• Rural-Urban migration creates ghettoes in cities.

Economic Consequences

• This depends on the "quality" of the migrants and the economic needs of the origin and destination. Quality refers to skills, age, educational attainment, health etc.

• In overpopulated areas, emigration is beneficial because it reduces the pressure on the land.

• In under populated areas, emigration may slow down development.

Class Work

• ‘Most migrants travel short distances, with increased distance the number of migrants decrease’

• ‘The major direction of migration is from agricultural to areas of industry and commerce’

• ‘Most migrants are adults and families rarely migrate out of their own countries of birth.’

• These remarks were made 150yrs ago how well do they stand up today, write notes on your own and then discuss in small groups