Urbanisation
More than half of humanity now lives in cities.
About this topic
Urbanisation is the increase in the proportion of people living in towns and cities. Over 55% of the world's population is urban, rising to about 68% by 2050. Rural-to-urban migration is driven by jobs, services and perceived opportunity, and natural increase. Megacities have over 10 million people (Tokyo, Delhi, Shanghai, Lagos).
In richer countries urbanisation happened during the Industrial Revolution and has slowed, while now it is fastest in Africa and Asia. Rapid growth in poorer countries creates slums/informal settlements, traffic, pollution and strain on water and sanitation. Lagos, for instance, grows by hundreds of thousands of people every year, outpacing housing and services, and informal neighbourhoods often lack legal rights to land.
Cities offer innovation, economic output and efficient services: it is cheaper per person to provide schools, power and transport when people live close together. Urban planning aims to make cities sustainable through public transport, slum upgrading and green space. Students should avoid assuming that urbanisation is always harmful; the problems come from growth that is faster than infrastructure, and not from city living itself. Counter-urbanisation, where people move out to the countryside, also occurs in some richer countries.
Key ideas
- Rural-to-urban migration
- Megacities
- Challenges: housing and pollution
Quick check
Use cases: where Urbanisation helps
- Homework: review the key idea behind Urbanisation before you start a problem set.
- Exam revision: use the quick check to test whether you can recall Urbanisation without notes.
- Visual learning: play with the interactive lab to see how Urbanisation changes when you adjust its inputs.
- Teaching a friend: explain Urbanisation in your own words, then compare your version with the key ideas.
Geography helps with city planning, climate, trade and migration.
Frequently asked questions
What is Urbanisation?
More than half of humanity now lives in cities.
What will I learn in Urbanisation?
Rural-to-urban migration. Megacities. Challenges: housing and pollution.
Is Urbanisation part of Geography?
Yes. It is one of 40 Geography topics on LearnViz HighSchoolEdu, with 3 key ideas, a live animation and a quick check.
Does the Urbanisation lab work on a phone or tablet?
Yes. The animation resizes to fit your screen and supports touch, so you can drag, tap and slide with your finger.
How should I study Urbanisation?
Read the summary and key ideas first, play with the interactive lab to see the idea in motion, then answer the quick check. If you get a question wrong, go back to the key idea it tests.
Do I need an account, and is my progress saved?
No account is needed. Marking a topic as learned is saved in your own browser, so it stays on that device and is not sent to a server.