We explain what an urban area is and the differences it presents with the rural area. Also, what are its characteristics and classification.
The urban area is the territory occupied by a city and its surroundings.
What is an urban area?
The definition of what is meant by an urban area varies from country to country. However, in general terms, an urban area is defined as one in which a population of 1,000 people is located. a large concentration of population and the infrastructure of a city, like streets and avenues, buildings and shops.
Unlike rural areas, which are characterized by the predominance of activities related to agriculture and livestock, economic activities in urban areas are mainly linked to the secondary and tertiary sectors.
Furthermore, most urban areas are characterized by having a high population density and several thousand or millions of inhabitants.
An estimated 56% of the world’s population (about 4.4 billion people) live in urban areas.The most populated cities in the world are Tokyo (Japan), with 43 million inhabitants, Shanghai (China) with 41 million and Delhi (India) with 33 million.
The countryside and the city
Rural areas have lower population density than cities.
Rural areas are geographical areas characterized by the predominance of activities related mainly to agriculture and livestock. In urban areas, on the other hand, industrial, commercial and service activities predominate.
Cities and rural towns are small and have little population. The population is usually employed as workers in the fields or in other tasks linked to rural activities. In urban areas there are usually large concentrations of populationand people are usually employed in the commercial sector, in companies and factories, and in the area of services such as transportation, tourism, technology, health or education.
Public and government buildings are also often installed in urban areas.mainly in those cities that function as capitals of municipalities, provinces and nations. For this reason, many people also work in public jobs related to public administration and government.
Urban areas are also characterized by a wide variety of transport infrastructures. They usually have paved streets, avenues and highways that are used to travel long distances. They also present infrastructure related to other modes of transport such as railways, stations, ports and airports.
In contrast, rural areas only have the routes and roads that connect them, and internal streets that may be paved or dirt. They do not have infrastructure for certain modes of transport, such as airports or subways, and sometimes only have a small bus terminal.
How is an urban area composed?
The areas that make up an urban zone are:
- Center. It has a high density of population and economic activities. It usually also includes the historic and founding center of the cities, where the oldest buildings and infrastructure that are part of the city’s history are located. Central areas also tend to have a greater number of means of transportation such as buses, trains or subways.
- Suburb or periphery. It is located away from the city center but integrated into it through transport routes such as avenues, highways or public transport networks. They tend to have a lower population density and a greater amount of green spaces.
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Economic activities in urban areas
Factories transform raw materials and obtain added value.
Unlike rural areas where primary activities predominate, in urban areas the most frequent economic activities are linked to the secondary and tertiary sectors. Some of the most important are:
- The industry. The factories of the world’s leading brands are often located in urban areas. Greater availability of labour, access to services and proximity to markets are what attract factories to set up in urban areas. The main industrial sectors are automotive, petrochemical, textile and food and beverage.
- The constructionThe construction of housing, buildings and public works in cities employs millions of people in urban areas.
- TradeUrban areas are also a major concentration of businesses. Shopping centres, malls, supermarkets, restaurants and retail businesses of all kinds generate a great deal of economic activity and many jobs in cities.
- Services. Many people in urban areas are engaged in service provision. Some of them are public, such as health or education, and others are private, such as companies that are dedicated to technological and logistics services, financial services, cultural services, legal advice, etc.
- Transport. Transportation is essential in large cities. The various modes of transportation (bus, subway, train) move millions of people every day and, consequently, the transportation sector employs many people who work as drivers, security, mechanics and other activities related to this sector.
- The tourismUrban areas are often important tourist centres that receive visitors from all over the world. Tourism activity is related to accommodation, travel agencies, recreational activities and gastronomy and is a very important source of work for people living in urban areas.
- The public sector. Urban areas also employ many people in jobs related to government management and administration, as they are often seats of political power in municipalities, provinces, and countries.
Problems in urban areas
Cities have internal and external transportation methods.
In general, urban areas tend to have larger and more concentrated populations than rural areas. Today, it is estimated that just over 4.4 billion people in the world live in cities, representing 56% of the population.
The high number and density of population in urban areas has a number of impacts on their inhabitants. Some of the most significant are:
- PollutionOne of the most important problems in urban areas is air and water pollution, a product of economic activity and the generation of solid and sewage waste. Air and water quality in highly populated urban areas is often below recommended levels, which can cause serious health problems for the population.
- Mobility. The mobility and circulation of millions of people has an impact on problems related to travel times and quality. Traffic problems, accidents, overcrowded public transport services and parking difficulties are some of the frequent problems experienced by people who live in urban areas.
- Access to housing. Urban areas often have high prices for buying or renting housing. This often leads to the formation of precarious urban settlements and many people living on the streets.
Environmental problems in urban areas
The main environmental problems faced by urban areas are:
- Air pollution. The factories that are installed in cities and the vehicles that circulate in them are responsible for a large amount of greenhouse gas emissions and other pollutants that affect air quality and can have negative impacts on people’s health.
- Noise pollution. Excessive noise generated by traffic, construction, and other human activities can lead to stress, sleep problems, and other negative health effects.
- Water contaminationCities generate large amounts of wastewater and solid waste that can contaminate rivers, lakes and groundwater.
- Lack of green spaces. The growth of cities without planning can fragment and degrade natural ecosystems, which can lead to the loss of green spaces and decreased biodiversity.
- Residuous generation. Cities generate millions of tons of solid waste every day. The large volume of waste production makes it very difficult to manage, which can have negative impacts on the environment.
Metropolis and megalopolis
Megacities like Moscow unite several metropolises into a single urban area.
The most populated urban areas make up large metropolitan areas and are called metropolises. Although there is no universal definition of how much population an urban area must have to be considered a metropolis, They are usually inhabited by millions of people.
Metropolises are formed by the growth of the peripheral areas of citiesThe process by which people move away from the city centre to gradually inhabit its periphery is called the “suburbanisation process”.
Megacities, on the other hand, are defined as a set of metropolitan areas (i.e. metropolises). Due to the suburbanization and spatial growth of their urban areas, These large cities come into contact with others and form a single continuous urban space..
One of the most populated megalopolises in the world is called boswashbecause it covers all the cities between Boston and Washington, in the United States. It has an area of approximately 800 kilometers and brings together more than 70 million inhabitants.
What are global cities? Global cities are megalopolises that have strategic importance for the functioning of the economy and politics worldwide. In these cities are located the headquarters and headquarters of the most important transnational companies in the world and the seats of government of the main political powers. The headquarters of international organizations such as the United Nations (UN) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) also operate.
The most important global cities today are New York (in the United States), London (in England), Tokyo (in Japan) and Beijing (in China).
peri-urban areas
In peri-urban areas, the city and the countryside are integrated.
Peri-urban spaces are defined as areas located on the periphery of urban areas where a transition occurs between the urban environment and the rural environment. In these spaces, characteristics of the…