What is a metropolis? It is a very large city or urban area. People living close by are drawn to it. It provides lots of activities and

services. Home to head offices* are located in

metropolises *The main office of a company.

It has greater economic and decision-making power than other cities in the region.

It is a densely populated urban area.

1. Downtown core

2. Residential neighbourhoods

3. Public parks

4. Public squares

5. Industrial parks

6. Interchanges

7. Suburbs (Residential areas around a major city)

8. Lots of tall office buildings and apartment towers

Metropolises have recognizable features:Metropolises have: Historical and modern landmarks These landmarks can either be natural or man-

made. The Sunlife Building and Schwartz’s Deli are

examples of man-made landmarks.

Mount-Royal, the island of Montreal and the St. Lawrence River are physical features.

Mont-Royal is a Mont-Royal is a physical physical featurefeature

Champlain Bridge is a structrure

Metropolises all around the world: 8 out of 10 metropolises with the highest

population (most populous) are in developing nations (poor countries).

Developing Nation:

A country with: a low standard of livingsevere povertylow income and education levelshigh birth ratepoorly developed social, economic, and

technological infrastructure. Developing nations: most countries in Africa,

Asia (except Japan), Latin America, and Oceania (except Australia and New Zealand)

Developed or Industrialized Nation:

A country with a relatively high standard of

livinghigh income and education

levels lower birth ratewell-developed social,

economic, and technological infrastructure.

Developed nations: Canada, U.S.A, France, England, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand etc.

Northern Hemisphere vs. Southern Hemisphere: Most countries in the Northern

Hemisphere are developed - wealthy!

Most countries in the Southern Hemisphere are developing countries – really poor!

(see page 9)

Unequal power among metropolises: Economically powerful metropolises are

found in the United States, Western Europe and Asia.

Megalopolis:

A region made up of several large cities and their surrounding areas.

They form the heart of economic and global power – they run the world!

3 examples of megalopolises located in the US:

1. Boston-New York- Washington D.C. 2. Chicago-Detroit-Pittsburgh 3. San Francisco-Los Angeles-San Diego

BosWash contains a reported population of 44 million, or 16% of the population of the United States, probably two or more world cities, and four of the world's fifty largest metropolitan areas — Boston, New York, Philadelphia, and Washington — as well as the New York Stock Exchange, the White House and US Capitol, the UN Headquarters, the headquarters of ABC, NBC, CBS, the New York Times and the Washington Post, as well as six of top ten US universities

Comparing and Contrasting Two Metropolises

The previous image is the City of the Dead, located in Cairo, Egypt.

The City of the Dead is a massive cemetery, which extends about 6km.

Due to overcrowding in Cairo people have had to move into the cemetery.

In Cairo, it is considered an honour to live among one’s deceased relatives.

Montreal at a Glance

Official language is French

Population is approximately 3.8 million in the Montreal Metropolitan Area (2011)

Montreal is located along the St. Lawrence River.

Montreal lies in the center of a large fertile plain left by the Champlain sea (13,000-10,000 years ago).

Montreal is surrounded by a river system known as the St. Lawrence Seaway.

Some of Montreal’s cultural features are: Mount. Royal, Olympic Stadium, Underground city

Montreal: Growth

Every year the population of Montreal increases, mostly due to immigration.

Today, immigrants make up more than 30% of the population, making Montreal a very multiethnic city.

This forces many people to live off-island.

This expands the borders of the Montreal Metropolitan Area (MMA).

Cairo at a Glance

Official language is Arabic

Population is approximately 15 million

The city of Cairo is located on both sides of the Nile River.

Cairo also has fertile land along the banks of the Nile.

Due to its desert climate Cairo gets very little precipitation.

Some cultural features are: Pyramids of Giza and the great Sphinx.

Cairo: Growth

Cairo’s population is increasing due to migration from rural (farming) areas.

Cairo has very little immigration. Therefore, Cairo does not have a multiethnic population.

Due to the rapid population growth Cairo’s city limits continue to grow.

Along with its port Montreal has two major airports. P.E.T. International (flights) and Mirabel (cargo).

Due to the size of Montreal’s Metropolitan Area, people use public transportation and personal vehicles to get around.

Montreal has an extensive metro, bus and commuter train system.

However, the large majority, use their own cars to get around.

What do you notice about Montreal and Cairo?

Both cities have a busy shipping port.

Both cities have airports that accommodate travellers and cargo.

Both cities have a subway and bus system. Cairos̕ is NOT as well-developed.

The majority of people in both cities use their cars to get around.

Major challenges for metropolises:

1. Housing 2. Waste Management 3. Transportation

1. Housing: Finding housing is a challenge for the poor. Apartments are too often expensive, in

disrepair or poorly situated. Government-subsidized housing* is available to

low-income families.*Apartments paid for in part by the

government

1. Finding housing in Metropolises:

There are many factors that play a role in finding a suitable place to live:

a. Your incomeb. Number of children c. Proximity to public transit (How close it is to

a bus stop or metro station)d. Neighborhood (Westmount vs. St, Henri)

e.Environment (Living near a park is more expensive; living next to a highway/overpass would bring the value down)

2. Waste Management: Ever wonder what happens to all the waste

from businesses and residents?

Garbage trucks collect the trash and either deposit it in landfills, incinerate it, recycle it or convert it into compost.

Waste Management and Developing countries:

Garbage is piled up in open lots near residential areas.

Poor people spend hours salvaging usable goods and materials they can sell.

Where does garbage go?

HOUSEHOLD GARBAGE is brought by truck to 1 of 5 landfills.

Montreal Metropolitan area uses the Lachenaie landfill.

RECYCLABLE MATERIALS is brought to a recycling plant.

Where does the snow go?

300,000 tonnes of snow is dumped into quarries, sewers and disposal sites.

The melted snow is pumped into the sewer system which then makes its way to a wastewater treatment center.

Where does wastewater go? A system of sewers transports the

wastewater to the St. Lawrence River a few km east of Montreal

The wastewater is first pumped through a treatment plant, otherwise the river would get polluted

3. TRANSPORTATION:

1. Pollution2. Loss of green space3. Deterioration of infrastructure4. Traffic

The vast majority of commuters living in Metropolises such as Montreal and Cairo use their own cars to get around the city.

What issues does this cause?

1. Pollution Acid Rain, which contaminates water and

harms fish that we eat.

Leads to many health problems (breathing).

Air pollution is often referred to as smog.

2. Loss of Green Space Cities are growing in size and they are taking

over (encroaching) farms (green space).

3. Deterioration of Infrastructure (falling apart)

Hundreds of thousands of commuters (people that travel) use our roads, bridges and public transit on a daily basis.

This causes our roads, highways & bridges to wear and need repair.

The city increases our taxes to help pay for these repairs.

Beltway: It is a highway that encircles an urban

area so that traffic does not have to pass through the center of the city.

Heavy trucks damage concrete and asphalt, slow-down traffic, and cause serious accidents.

Montreal Metropolitan Area does not have beltway* for large-sized trucks.

4. Traffic Montreal’s Roadways, overpasses, bridges and highways

are getting old and need lots of repairs.

Dangerous potholes and huge cracks damage cars and slow down traffic.

Traffic jams become more problematic as the population in the Metropolitan Area increases.

More vehicles on our roads and ongoing road construction, due to aging infrastructure, cause traffic too.

Although it's cheaper and faster to take public transit, most people living in MMA still use cars. Why?

Means of Transportation

Population going to work

CAR 70.4%PUBLIC TRANSIT 21.4%

WALKED 5.7%BICYCLE 1.6%

TAXI 0.2%MOTORCYCLE 0.1%

OTHER 0.5%

Lane closures due to road repairs and accidents cause traffic too.

Some of the major highways, expressways and service roads in the M.M.A. need more lanes.

Who is affected by these issues? We are all affected by these issues:

Our environment

Plants and animals living in and around major metropolises

People and environments in other parts of the world