Definitions urban area the definition of urban varies from country to country, and, with periodic reclassification, can also vary within one country over time, making direct comparisons difficult. It is characterized by a rise in the urban proportion of. By definition, urbanization refers to the process by which rural areas become. Global trends of urbanization cities are the manifestation of the cultural, economic and social acceleration that we have experienced in our modern history.
Half of the global population already lives in cities, and by 2050 twothirds of the worlds people are expected to live in urban areas. These two examples of rapid urbanization are unsurprising given the equally rapid economic growth in these countries. A functionally useful definition should address demographic, geopolitical and social. Urbanization is a result of population migration from rural areas in addition to natural urban demographic growth. In 2008 the world crossed that longawaited demographic. Concepts, definitions and data sources for the study of. By definition, urbanization refers to the process by which rural areas become urbanized as a result of economic development and industrialization. This lesson explains both of these processes as well as several examples of urbanization from around the world. Megacities, conventionally defined to be large urban. In most countries the percentage of the total population living in urban areas is increasing. World urbanization prospects the 2018 revision united nations.
Urbanization causes and impacts national geographic. The 2018 revision globally, more people live in urban areas than in rural areas, with 55 % of the worlds population residing in urban areas in 2018. Urbanization definition is the quality or state of being urbanized or the process of becoming urbanized. Global impact of urbanization threatening worlds biodiversity and natural resources date. If we use the administrative definition of the urban, the most urbanized regions worldwide are north america 82 percent, latin america and the. Urbanization definition of urbanization by merriamwebster. Urbanization, city growth, and the new united nations. But in cities two of the most pressing problems facing the. Around the world, people are moving to urban centers in unprecedented numbers.
Urbanization is not merely a modern phenomenon, but a rapid and historic transformation of human social roots on a global scale, whereby predominantly rural culture is being rapidly replaced by. As the share of people in, and the footprint of, urban areas continue to grow globally and locally, understanding urbanization processes and resulting land use both their patterns and. In contrast, africa remains mostly rural, with 43 % of its population living in urban areas. The rural population of the world has grown slowly since 1950 and is.
When they bother to define it at all, many other urban researchers also define urbanisation in this way. Urbanization describes both growing cities and population shifts away from rural living. Urbanization is the process of a greater proportion of human activities economic, social, cultural taking place in urbanized areas. Pdf article info abstract the urbanization as a concept, its dimensions and.
In 1950, 30 % of the worlds population was urban, and by 2050, 68 % of the worlds population is projected to be urban. Number of countries according to the criteria used in defining urban areas, 2018. An urban area can be defined by one or more of the following. In spite of this variety, official definitions do not accurately represent the urban in all its diversity. Figure 10 long as natural population growth is not cur tailed.