Urbanisation in LEDCs

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Urban areas are growing faster in LEDCs than anywhere else in the world,
but this growth brings problems and challenges, all of which require good
management and solutions.

Causes of urban growth

Although the process of urbanisation happens in both MEDCs and LEDCs, the
fastest-growing cities in the world are in LEDCs.
The reasons for the growth of urban areas include:

A lack of employment opportunities in the countryside. Overpopulation

and poor crop yields are all push factors - why people leave the countryside.

Better paid jobs in the cities, an expected higher standard of living, and
more reliable food are all pull factors - why people are attracted to the city.

People who migrate to towns and cities tend to be young and so have
higher birth rates in that age range.

Better medical conditions compared to the countryside mean more

successful births and a better life expectancy.
There are many problems associated with the rapid growth. These include
unplanned housing (squatter settlements/shanty towns), dealing with urban waste,
pollution and stress on the infrastructure and the city's services.

Shanty towns
The fact that cities in LEDCs are growing rapidly means that conditions can be poor.
There are often great inequalities within LEDC urban areas and they are even more
pronounced in LEDCs.

A township in South Africa

Some of the worst conditions are found in the shanty towns on the edge of the city,
near the CBD or along main transport routes. They tend to be unplanned and are
often illegal. Houses are self-built using basic materials and shanty towns have few
services.
Shanty town residents face many problems on a daily basis. Khayelitsha in South
Africa is a shanty town located near the city of Cape Town. Shanty towns are also
known as townships in South Africa. Khayelitsha has a population of over 1.8
million people and is one of the largest townships in South Africa.

Problems in shanty towns

Overcrowding - the settlement has a high population density.

Fires - fires can spread quickly.

Overpopulation - the area does not have enough resources to support

the growing population.

Competition for jobs - jobs are in short supply.

Disease - poor sanitation and limited health care can lead to the spread
of disease.

Lack of space - the newest and poorest arrivals may be forced to live
on the worst quality land.

Infrastructure - services are poor, public transport is limited and

connections to the electricity supply can be limited and sometimes dangerous.

Improving shanty towns

Soweto township in Johannesburg, South Africa

Over time the conditions in shanty towns may improve. In many LEDCs, local
communities, charities and government departments are working together to
improve conditions in squatter settlements.
Improving conditions in a squatter settlement can lead to improvements in the
residents' quality of life.

Approaches to improvement
Site and service
schemes

These give people the chance to rent or buy a piece of land. The land is connected to the city by
transport links and has access to essential services (eg water). People build their own homes using
money from a low-interest loan.

Self-help
schemes

These give people the tools and training to improve their homes. Low-interest loans may be used to
help people fund these changes. People may be given legal ownership of the land.

Rural investment

Improving the quality of life and creating greater opportunities in rural areas may prevent people
from migrating to urban areas. Investment in rural areas may therefore help to improve conditions in
the city as well.

Case study: managing rapid urban growth in a sustainable way in

Curitiba
Curitiba is a capital city of the Parana state in Brazil. Nearly two million people live
there. The city has had an urban master plan since the 1968. It is an excellent
example of managing urban growth in a sustainable way. The master plan includes
social, economic and environmental programmes. It includes:

Curitiba bendy bus. credit: Thomas Locke Hobbs

Curitiba bus system - a bus stop

Creating and retaining parks and green space beside the rivers. This acts
as a floodplain. When the Iguazu River floods, some areas created are used as
boating lakes.

The green spaces being dedicated to different ethnic and immigrant

groups.

Urban growth is restricted to corridors of growth - along key transport

routes. Tall buildings are allowed only along bus routes.

A bus rapid transit system operates. This is cheaper to run than a tube
system. Some employers subsidise their employees who use it. 80% of
travellers use it.

The bus rapid transit system uses triple section bendy buses. It carries
two million passengers a day. The bus fare is the same wherever you go. No
one lives more than 400 metres from a bus stop.

"Lighthouses of Knowledge". These are free educational and internet

centres.

A green exchange programme. The urban poor bring their waste to

neighbourhood centres. They can exchange their waste for bus tickets and
food. This has many advantages, for example the urban poor areas are kept
clean, despite waste trucks not being able to reach them easily.

COHAB, the public housing programme, is providing 50,000 homes for

the urban poor.