Urbanization what is it?

Urbanization - what is it?

Urbanization is the expansion of urban settlements and the spread of urban lifestyles to all settlements. Urbanization is a multifaceted process based on historically formed forms of social and territorial division of labor. Urbanization means the growth of large cities, an increase in the urban population in the country. This concentration is closely related to fake urbanization.

Population growth in different countries occurs in different dynamics, so all countries of the world are conditionally divided into three groups:

high level of urbanization - 73%;

medium - more than 32%;

past - 32% and less.

According to this division, Canada is in the fourth decade in terms of urbanization rate, where its rate is over 80%. In Russia, the figure is 73 percent, but population growth is not always positive. In our country, this level has arisen due to contradictions:

inability of host cities to adequately address migration;

difficult economic situation;

political instability;

inequality in the development of regions when the rural population is prone to megacities.

Urbanization is a complex process of increasing the share of urban population and the spread of urban lifestyles. So far, the share of urban population remains the main indicator of urbanization, although for several reasons this indicator cannot be considered universal. This is because the status of a city (urban settlement) in different countries is determined in different ways. For example, at least 10,000 people in a city in China, at least 6,000 in Russia and Belarus, and 400 in the Scandinavian countries will suffice. In addition to quantitative indicators, there are also qualitative criteria for urban status in a number of countries (population density in a particular settlement, the share of those employed in non-agricultural sectors, etc.). However, to date, another objective, indicator has not been developed, the result of which is the share of urban population that reflects the level of urbanization.

The twentieth century is often referred to as the age of urbanization. This is because in the beginning only 10% of the world’s population lived in cities, by the middle of the century this figure had grown to 30% and now stands at about 47% (2003). So now our planet remains largely “rural”, mostly developing countries.

In a large set of reasons for urbanization, the following can be distinguished as the main ones:

· Development of industrial production, mainly concentrated in cities.

Economic development in rural areas, where there are different levels of surplus labor, has different causes. In developed economies, this is due to the high degree of mechanization of agricultural production. As a result, in this sector of the economy, as a rule, no more than 5 percent of the economically active population works. An economically active population is a part of it that is currently engaged in material and intangible production. In developing countries, the excess labor force in rural areas (agricultural overpopulation) is associated with high birth rates and natural growth.

· In most cases (and often from a human point of view) more comfortable living conditions in urban areas than in rural areas.