Curriculum Portal

neurologyYou need to know

• Urbanisation is an increase in the proportion of a country's population living in urban areas.
• Urban population growth is an increase in the number of people living in urban areas.
• Rural-to-urban migration and settlement reclassification can contribute to both urbanisation and urban population growth, while natural increase in cities contributes to urban population growth but only increases urbanisation if the urban population has a higher growth rate than the rural population.
• Globally, more than half of people now live in urban areas, with the most rapid urban population growth occurring in Africa and Asia, while Europe and North America are highly urbanised but have slowly growing urban populations.
• Push factors are negative conditions in the place of origin that drive people to leave, while pull factors are perceived advantages in the destination that attract migrants.
• Common rural push factors include low and unstable farm incomes, limited land or job opportunities, environmental hazards such as drought or flooding, and insecurity or conflict.
• Common urban pull factors include higher wages, a wider range of formal jobs, better access to education and healthcare, and improved infrastructure and services.
• Rural-to-urban migration is the movement of people from the countryside to towns and cities, typically driven by a combination of push pressures at the origin and pull attractions at the destination.
• A megacity is an urban area with a population of at least 10 million people.
• Most megacities are concentrated in Asia because very large national populations and rapid industrial and service-sector growth have focused investment, jobs, and infrastructure in major urban hubs.
• Tokyo is Japan's capital on the eastern coast of Honshu in East Asia, forming a vast conurbation around Tokyo Bay.
• Tokyo's housing is predominantly high-density apartments with high land values; transport is dominated by an extensive, punctual rail and metro network; lifestyles feature compact living, long commutes for some, and comprehensive urban services.
• Lagos is Nigeria's largest city on the Gulf of Guinea in West Africa, centred on islands and peninsulas connected to the mainland.
• Lagos has severe housing shortages with large informal settlements such as Makoko, chronic road congestion with informal minibuses, and a youthful population with many working in the informal economy.
• Residents of megacities commonly face challenges including housing affordability or slum conditions, traffic congestion, air and water pollution, pressure on services, waste management difficulties, and socio-economic inequality.
• A sustainable city balances the three pillars of sustainability: environmental protection, such as low emissions and resource efficiency; economic viability, such as productive jobs and innovation; and social equity, such as affordability and inclusion.
• Typical sustainability features include energy-efficient buildings, renewable energy, reliable public transport and active travel, green spaces and biodiversity, affordable housing, effective waste and water management, and local, skilled employment opportunities with fair access for all communities.
• Freiburg's sustainability includes the Vauban district with energy-efficient and some energy-positive homes, extensive solar power and district heating, high-quality tram and cycling networks, car-lite street design, strong recycling and green spaces, and citizen co-operatives that support affordable, sustainable housing.
• London's major sustainability strategies include road-user charging such as the Congestion Charge and the Ultra Low Emission Zone to cut traffic pollution, rapid expansion of active and public transport, bus electrification, and planning policies that promote energy-efficient buildings; these strategies have reduced roadside nitrogen dioxide in central areas.

• Define the terms urbanisation, urban population growth, push factor, pull factor, megacity, inequality, sustainable city, and smart city using concise, assessment-ready sentences, and distinguish urbanisation from urban population growth.
• Describe global patterns of urbanisation and urban population growth using TEA: state the overall Trend, cite specific numerical Evidence from maps or graphs, and identify clear Anomalies by region or country.
• Explain rural-to-urban migration by linking at least three push and three pull factors to real-world examples, showing how combined pressures cause movement.
• Describe housing, transport, and lifestyles in the contrasting cities of Tokyo and Lagos, and identify at least three challenges faced by residents in each city.
• Evaluate the effectiveness of sustainability features by applying criteria such as emissions reduction, affordability, accessibility, and scalability to Freiburg's housing, energy, and transport solutions, then reach a justified judgement.
• Assess London's sustainability strategies by explaining how each is environmentally, economically, and socially sustainable, and by judging progress using indicators such as air quality trends, modal share, and emissions trajectory.