por What are urban agglomerations?
The urban agglomerations They are those regions whose growth extends disproportionately towards the periphery, encompassing the «satellite» cities that surround the large metropolises, since the economic and administrative centers are located in them. This phenomenon began from the birth of the industrial age and corporations.
Urban agglomerations occur due to an accumulation of the population in the surroundings of those cities that offer the main economic and social services. Because of this, most people tend to move from rural to urban areas in search of a better quality of life.
These agglomerations can be dangerous in the event of an earthquake or any other natural disaster, since there is usually not a prudent separation between the houses. For low-income people, settling on the outskirts of a big city implies a temporary solution to their problems, but in the long run it can bring inconvenience.
Urban agglomerations also result in overpopulation, which exacerbates economic and social problems. It can even trigger health problems, since there is overpopulation, diseases also multiply, accelerating the appearance of viruses and epidemics.
Origin of urban agglomerations
Industrial economies and migrations
Starting in the 19th century, there was an exponential increase in the population as large urban areas began to develop. This occurred as a result of the growth of the industrial economies typical of contemporary societies.
There was also an increase in the fertility rate and longevity thanks to advances in medicine. To this was added the international migrations that, during the first half of the 20th century, were the product of the world wars.
Moving from rural to urban areas
Previously, the population was more evenly distributed throughout the territories, that is, there was a considerable number of inhabitants in both rural and urban spaces.
However, from the 19th century onwards, the rural exodus has been notable: in 1850, the population of London exceeded 2 million inhabitants and Paris, more than a million. Already in the 21st century, more people move to cities in search of better work and study opportunities.
Currently, approximately 56% of the world population lives in cities, and this situation will increase in the coming years (2050), when it is expected that 7 out of 10 people will live in an urban environment.
Characteristics of urban agglomerations
One of the main characteristics of urban agglomerations consists of demographic disparity. This means that the population is not evenly distributed in a region or country, but, on the contrary, there are many areas that are almost completely uninhabited, while others —urban areas— are overpopulated. This means that many people, from all over (not only from their own country, but from other nations), find themselves living in the same place, which generates great cultural heterogeneity.
Another aspect that characterizes urban agglomerations is the accelerated or overflowing growth of the population. This growth is due to migrations and births. In poor and low-income areas, more births tend to be registered than in medium or high-income areas.
Dynamism and spatial mobility are typical characteristics of urban agglomerations, since more and more people are living together in large cities, which implies a constant displacement of citizens.
These continuous flows of mobility and movement of citizens lead to tedious traffic and transportation problems. However, this characteristic should not bring major inconveniences if it is adequately supported by the institutions.
Consequences of urban agglomerations
culture shocks: toWhen there is so much heterogeneity in urban agglomerations, a clash of cultures can occur between the urban population and those who come from rural areas, since both maintain different customs and traditions.
Increased marginality: having an unorganized increase in the population, poverty and crime also increase, since the existing resources are not enough for everyone. Therefore, the chances of encouraging robberies and aggressions increase.
job proposals: noo all the consequences of urban agglomerations are negative: there are also positive aspects. One of these is the increase in job proposals, since there is so much demand for employment, companies try to constantly innovate and create new jobs. This means that the economy remains stable and that there are job opportunities for any sector of the population.
Examples of urban agglomerations
the asian continent
Asia is known throughout the world for its overpopulation, which results in some of the countries on this continent leading the list of the most populated urban agglomerations on the planet. According to the UN registry, Tokyo is the city with the largest agglomeration: it is inhabited by 40,274,890 people.
Tokyo is followed by Shanghai, a city located in China. This place has about 24,870,895 inhabitants. Seoul, the capital of South Korea, with a population of 25,620,000 inhabitants also stands out from this continent.
Another of the countries with the largest urban agglomeration is India, which has not only one, but several overcrowded cities. The first of these is New Delhi, with around 27 million. Then comes Bombay, with 28.5 billion inhabitants.
There are also Jakarta, in Indonesia (approximately 30,000,000) and Bangkok, in Thailand (14,626,225).
American continent
Regarding the American countries with the largest urban agglomeration, in first place is Mexico City, which is inhabited by 22,804,515 people, according to UN records.
Then comes New York City, in the United States, where 22,085,649 people live. In third place is São Paulo, Brazil, where 22,048,514 inhabitants live.
the european continent
As an example of urban agglomerations on the European continent is Moscow, the capital of Russia, with 25,121,000 inhabitants.
Then follows the capital of England, London, with 14,257,962 inhabitants. In the case of Paris (France), it has 12,292,895 people.
the african continent
In Africa, the largest urban agglomerations are Cairo, in Egypt (approximately 19,000,000), Lagos, in Nigeria (24,000,000), Kinshasa-Brazzaville, in the Congo (15,000,000), Johannesburg, in South Africa (8,000. 000) and Luanda, in Angola (9,079,811).
References
Urban agglomerations. Retrieved from academia.edu.
Diversity and inequality in cross-border urban agglomerations. Recovered from fuhem.es.