What is urbanisation?
Urbanisation is the increase in the share of a population living in towns and cities. It happens through rural-to-urban migration, natural growth of the urban population, and the reclassification of villages as towns.
In India, a census town needs a population of at least 5,000, at least 75% of the male main workers in non-farm work, and a density of at least 400 people per km². Census 2011 found that about 31.2% of India’s population (about 37.7 crore people) lived in urban areas. Worldwide, the UN’s World Urbanization Prospects 2018 estimated that 55% of people lived in urban areas in 2018 and projected 68% by 2050.
Push and pull factors
- Push factors (drive people out of villages): unemployment and underemployment, small or no landholdings, drought and crop failure, low wages, debt, lack of schools and hospitals, social discrimination.
- Pull factors (attract people to cities): jobs in industry and services, higher wages, education and health facilities, better amenities, and the hope of a better life.
Consequences
- Slums and lack of housing (Dharavi in Mumbai is one of Asia’s largest slums).
- Traffic congestion and air pollution.
- Water shortages and untreated sewage.
- Mountains of solid waste.
- Urban heat island: cities are warmer than the countryside because concrete and asphalt store heat and there is less vegetation.
- Floods when drains are blocked and wetlands built over.
- Positive effects too: more jobs, innovation, better services, and lower birth rates.
Future trends
Growth will be fastest in Asia and Africa. Planners stress compact cities, public transport, affordable housing, and green spaces. India’s Smart Cities Mission and AMRUT were launched in 2015.
Key points
- Census 2011: about 31.2% urban in India.
- Census town: ≥ 5,000 people, ≥ 75% male non-farm workers, ≥ 400/km².
- Push = out of the village; pull = into the city.
- Urban heat island = city warmer than its surroundings.
Exam tips
Classifying a factor as push or pull is a frequent question. Think about direction: is it a problem at the origin (push) or an attraction at the destination (pull)?
Common mistakes
- Calling “better hospitals in the city” a push factor; it is a pull factor.
- Thinking urbanisation only means bigger cities; it means a larger share of people in urban areas.
- Using 2001 or projected figures as the Census 2011 figure.