Les 3 - 2.2 The spread of megacities

• Aardrijkskunde
• Middelbare school
• vwo
• Leerjaar 3

Planning

• Homework check
• Start §2.2
• Time for homework

Homework check

Learning objectives

• You know the factors that influence the location of cities.
• You understand the difference between a primate city and an urban network

Key words §2.2

Urbanisation - People moving from elsewhere to the city

Degree of urbanisation - The percentage of people in a country living in a city

Urbanisation rate - The growth of the degree of urbanisation

Settlement surplus - The positive difference between people moving to and leaving an area

Urban network - A group of cities that is heavily linked to each other within a country

Primate city - A city that is way bigger and more important than the second largest city in a country

Where are the biggest cities located?

Spread of the big cities

• Most big cities are in Asia
•  Relatively many big cities in other less developed regions
• A lot are on the coast
• Or other geographically good locations

I am an Urban planner and for some reason I need your help!

Choose between Location A and Location B.

Which place do you choose for the next megacity?

Location A is a flat piece of land. Location B is mountainous

A

B

Location A is a flat piece of land. Location B is also flat, but has a coal mine nearby

A

B

Location A is in the middle of a country. Location B is in the corner.

A

B

Location A still needs roads and railways to connect it. Location B already has a bunch of roads and railways.

A

B

Location A lies near the ocean, but is on a cliff. Location B lies further inland, but has a big river flowing past it

A

B

Thanks for the help

In reality these factors do explain the location of many cities.

These factors are:

• Terrain
• Acces to natural resources
• Infrastructure
• Place within a country

www.geonames.org

What did you notice?

Primate city

• One city that is way bigger than all other cities in a country
• more common in countries with lower income

Use the site shown before. Which country in Europe has a primate city?

1. Belgium
2. Netherlands
3. Slovenia
4. France

www.geonames.org

What did you notice?

Urban Network

• Network of closely connected cities
• More spread over a country
• Like the Randstad

Learning objectives

• You know the factors that influence the location of cities.
• You understand the difference between a primate city and an urban network

Homework

Assignment 1, 2, 6, 7 of §2.2

For next week

Next lesson we will discuss the test of chapter 1