Megacities in the developing world
Mega cities have become one of the defining features of modern urban life and for a growing number of people in the developing world their challenges are a daily reality. The term mega city is used to describe a city with a population of over 8 million. The world’s first megacities occurred in the developed world, but now by far the most mega cities occur in developing countries. The urban population in developing countries in 2006 reached 2.2 billion compared to 936 million in the world's developed countries and by 2015 there will be 33 megacities, 27 of which will be located in developing countries (Kleeman, 2008).
This trend is projected to continue. Most population growth in the next 30 years is projected to occur in urban areas of developing countries. By 2030, the urban population is likely to reach 4 billion. However, the pace of urban growth in these places has outstripped the ability or governments provide adequate services and infrastructure to accommodate these populations and the economic circumstances are such that these populations are forced to exist in substandard conditions, placing great pressure on urban environments and resources. Extreme urban poverty, lack of adequate housing, basic sanitation, healthcare, education, pollution and social disintegration are all features of mega cities in the developing world.
Despite the challenges faced by these urban dwellers, grinding rural poverty, the hope of a better life and the pull of opportunities that don't exist in rural areas continue to pull growing numbers of rural-urban migrants. In this unit we will explore two of the challenges of living in mega cities - housing and traffic infrastructure and the ways in which people have responded to these challenges.
This trend is projected to continue. Most population growth in the next 30 years is projected to occur in urban areas of developing countries. By 2030, the urban population is likely to reach 4 billion. However, the pace of urban growth in these places has outstripped the ability or governments provide adequate services and infrastructure to accommodate these populations and the economic circumstances are such that these populations are forced to exist in substandard conditions, placing great pressure on urban environments and resources. Extreme urban poverty, lack of adequate housing, basic sanitation, healthcare, education, pollution and social disintegration are all features of mega cities in the developing world.
Despite the challenges faced by these urban dwellers, grinding rural poverty, the hope of a better life and the pull of opportunities that don't exist in rural areas continue to pull growing numbers of rural-urban migrants. In this unit we will explore two of the challenges of living in mega cities - housing and traffic infrastructure and the ways in which people have responded to these challenges.