Urbanisation is a global process — Edexcel GCSE Geography A
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Urbanisation is a global process explained
Urbanisation is a global process covers 2 specification points, including A.
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Contrasting trends in urbanisation over the… and B. How and why urbanisation has occurred at…. Open a point below for its explanation and revision guidance.
a. Contrasting trends in urbanisation over the last 50 years in different parts of the world (developed, emerging and developing countries).
This criterion asks you to describe and explain contrasting trends in urbanisation over the last 50 years in different parts of the world. Urbanisation is the rise in the proportion of people living in towns and cities. Developed countries have seen urban growth slow, as most people already live in cities and some move to suburbs or smaller towns. Emerging countries have experienced rapid urban growth driven by industrialisation and rural-to-urban migration. Developing countries have also grown fast, often through high birth rates and migration, with informal settlements. Compare rate, causes and consequences for each group, and support each contrast with a named country example.
b. How and why urbanisation has occurred at different times and rates in different parts of the world (developed, emerging and developing countries) and the effects.
This statement asks how and why urbanisation happens, why it occurs at different times and rates in developed, emerging and developing countries, and what effects follow. Urbanisation is the rising proportion of people living in towns and cities. Causes include rural-urban migration, driven by push factors such as low farm incomes and land shortages, and pull factors such as jobs, schools and healthcare. Natural increase also raises urban populations. Timing varies between country types: developed countries urbanised during industrialisation over a long period and now grow slowly, sometimes with counterurbanisation. Emerging countries have rapid growth linked to manufacturing investment. Developing countries often urbanise fast while jobs and services lag behind.
Your focus
- Describe contrasting urbanisation trends in developed, emerging and developing countries over the last 50 years.
- Explain the causes of urban growth in each named group of countries.
- Support each contrast with an accurate named country example.
Show all 6 objectives
- Define urbanisation and distinguish it from growth in the area of a city.
- Explain the causes of urbanisation using push and pull factors.
- Compare the timing and rate of urbanisation across developed, emerging and developing countries and describe its effects.
Urbanisation is a global process exam tips
Marking Points
- Describes a contrast in urbanisation rate or pattern between at least two of the named country groups.
- Explains a cause of urban trends in each group, such as industrialisation, natural increase or migration.
- Uses the last 50 years as the time frame and avoids relying on earlier history or future projections as main evidence.
- Supports each contrast with an accurate named country example.
- Distinguishes developed, emerging and developing groups rather than treating the world as a single pattern.
- Explains urbanisation as a rise in the proportion of people living in towns and cities, not simply a rise in the number of people.
- Identifies rural-urban migration and natural increase as causes of urban population growth.
- Explains specific push factors and pull factors, giving a reason for each.
- Compares timing and rate of urbanisation across developed, emerging and developing countries, linking differences to stage of development.
- Describes at least one effect of urbanisation, stating whether it is positive or negative and why.
- Uses named countries or cities to support explanations.
Examiner Tips
- 💡Organise the answer by the three named groups and make one clear contrast in each paragraph.
- 💡Check that each example is a named country and fits within the last 50 years.
- 💡Link each cause to its effect on urban growth, using words such as because or so that.
- 💡Define urbanisation in your opening sentence to secure a clear starting point.
- 💡Organise your answer into how, why and effects, and check that each part is addressed.
- 💡Use at least two contrasting country examples to show how urbanisation differs between development groups.
Common Mistakes
- Treats all countries as urbanising at the same rate; correct this by contrasting at least two of the named groups.
- Presents urbanisation as only a developing country issue; correct this by noting that developed countries have slowed growth and seen suburbanisation.
- Gives the Industrial Revolution as the main example; correct this by keeping the answer within the last 50 years.
- Uses emerging and developing as interchangeable labels; correct this by applying emerging to rapidly industrialising economies and developing to lower-income countries.
- Equates urbanisation with urban sprawl or growth in the area of a city; correct by defining it as a rising share of the population living in urban areas.
- Assumes all countries urbanise at the same speed; correct by comparing timing and rate separately for developed, emerging and developing countries.
- Lists effects without linking them to causes or to the type of country; correct by explaining why each effect occurs in a given context.