notes

AP/GEOG 1410
Rob D’Orazio
212389045
Monday, March 3rd, 2014
Paul Bocking Assignment 5: World Urbanization System
1.
Three Countries
High - Sweden (85.2%)
Medium – Portugal (61.1%)
Low – Thailand – 34.1 (%)

a)

Population (thousands)
Percentage urban
Country
Urban
Rural
Total

Sweden
8044
1396
9441
85.2
Portugal
6527
4162
10690
61.1
Thailand
23689
45829
69519
34.1

b)

Sweden

Size Class of Urban Settlement
Size Class Code
Number of Agglomerations
1 to 5 Million

3

1
500,000 ro 1 Million
4

1 Main Cities: Stockholm
Portugal

Size Class of Urban Settlement
Size Class Code
Number of Agglomerations
1 to 5 Million

3

2
500,000 ro 1 Million
4

0
Main Cities: Lisbon, Porto

Thailand
Size Class of Urban Settlement
Size Class Code
Number of Agglomerations
10 Million or more
1

0
5 to 10 Million

2

1
1 to 5 million

3

1
500,000 to 1 Millon
4

0
Main Cities: Bangkok, Samut Prakan

c)

Country
1950
1970
1990
2010
Sweden
4610
6517
7112
7978
Portugal
2626
3360
4756
6459
Thailand
3396
7711
16793
23315

d)

e) Projected changes noted by the UN for 2050

Sweden – Project change to 90%
Portugal – Projected change to 77.2%
Thailand – Projected change to 55.7%

3)
Report
Urbanization is growing precipitously around the world. Urbanization, being a global trajectory, would allow for multiple different countries and nations to be suitable illustrations when demonstrating different rates of growth and impacts of urbanization. For the purpose of this report, I will distinctively focus on countries that range from high to low urban population, notably, the countries of Sweden, Portugal, and Thailand and compare them with Canada’s urbanization. Sweden, once a country with a mediocre percentage of urban population a little over 50 years ago, has now grown into a country with a high percentage of urban population. Sweden is much like Canada in its rate of growth. Both countries were illustrated with a medium percentage of urbanization and have grown into a high percentage. Both countries have high amounts of urban development, which help contribute to the total growth of the country in its urban settlements. When comparing Canadian urbanization with a country such as Portugal, the circumstances change. Canada and Portugal are greatly related with there birth rate. With a similar birth rate between two countries, they are both creating more opportunities and jobs. Canada having more km/per person than Portugal due to the weather conditions in northern Canada leaves the country to have less population in that area, and compact themselves in the south. While in Portugal, more individuals scatter themselves around the nation where there is generically the same environmental conditions, explaining why Portugal’s urbanization rate is drastically increasing as a whole. Finally when looking at Thailand, Thailand is still a developing country so it still does have any urbanization standards remotely close to that of Canada, especially because Thailand just came out of the Asian crisis.

Sweden’s overall growth rate is not as strong when compared to the other three listed nations. Sweden’s most urbanized city is Stockholm. Stockholm is the most urbanized city within the country, Stockholm has the greatest population within the country and right outside of it is many rural areas. The rural areas are contribution as to why the growth rate of urbanization within Stockholm hasn’t drastically increased. The rural areas located around Stockholm and the various bodies of water act as boundaries and borders for the city which makes it more difficult to develop around the city. When focusing towards Portugal, the countries growth rate dramatically increases by 2050. As mentioned before, when compared to Canada, the climate is approximately the same around the country. Portugal, being a developed country, has a lot of opportunity to expand, especially with its high birth rates. With the development of Porto, the country provides more tourist attractions and opportunities for citizens generating more income. More urbanization must occur within the city in order to provide future jobs and homes. The city of Porto continues to progress itself into looking similar to a Canadian society. Finally when focusing on Thailand, the countries growth rate isn’t as great as Portugal’s but yet not as bad as Sweden’s. This is because like Portugal, it has a stable climate throughout the country where all current rural areas have possibilities to develop with the rest of the country where citizens can reside. Thailand greatly depends on their consumption and exports for the expansion. Although, there exports are allowing the country to grow, the city of Bangkok does not project a lot of urbanization. The city contains little infrastructure and limited roads, causes traffic congestions within it city making very unappealing and difficult to reside in. The two points above together correlate with one another to demonstrate how Thailand’s growth as a whole is not so high but yet not so low.

When focusing on the three major cities of the countries listed, Stockholm, Porto, and Bangkok. The two of the three cities develop challenges for further development within it. Stockholm is settled around great bodies of water. This is definitely a major factor to consider within the data, as it would be difficult to build on or around bodies of water. With that said, the data provided by the UN seems to be accurate with Sweden’s overall growth and I would account it as reliable. When focusing on Porto, Porto does not seem to have a challenge for growth. Porto receives fund from the European union to help development, and sine as developed quite drastically and efficiently. As well, would allow be to assume that the UN again as accurate data and information. Portugal as a whole, demonstrates a dramatic increase and development and by 2050 should be close to Sweden now. Bangkok, has tremendously grown in the last decade. A challenge the city would face for further development would be its road congestion. Road congestion is a continuous issue occurring in Bangkok, the more the city develops the more road congestion occurs. Unlike the other two countries, I feel the UN does not portray Thailand’s data correctly. It did just come out of a crisis, but Thailand is doing tremendously well as the urbanization increase, the poverty decreases, and the data seems to be presented incorrectly as it should be higher.

Works Cited
Anderson, Erik. “Patterns and scale relations among urbanization measures in Stockholm, Sweden” Landscape Ecol.10.24(2009): 1331-1339. Web.

Portugali, J. “Notions Concerning the Nature of World Urbanization” Progress in Planning.:1.145-169. Web.

Martins.F.G. “Identification and origin of nocturne ozone maxima at urban and rural areas of northern Portugal” Atmospheric Environment.45.(2011): 942-956. Web.

Angkurawaranon. Chasiri. “Urbanization and Non-communicable disease mortality in Thailand: an ecological correlation study”. Tropical Medicine and International Health.18.2(2013):130-140. Web.

Wilson, Kathi. “Aboriginal urbanization and rights in Canada: Examining implications for health” Social Science and Medicine. 91.(2013): 219-228. Web.

Cited: Anderson, Erik. “Patterns and scale relations among urbanization measures in Stockholm, Sweden” Landscape Ecol.10.24(2009): 1331-1339. Web. Portugali, J. “Notions Concerning the Nature of World Urbanization” Progress in Planning.:1.145-169. Web. Martins.F.G. “Identification and origin of nocturne ozone maxima at urban and rural areas of northern Portugal” Atmospheric Environment.45.(2011): 942-956. Web. Angkurawaranon. Chasiri. “Urbanization and Non-communicable disease mortality in Thailand: an ecological correlation study”. Tropical Medicine and International Health.18.2(2013):130-140. Web. Wilson, Kathi. “Aboriginal urbanization and rights in Canada: Examining implications for health” Social Science and Medicine. 91.(2013): 219-228. Web.