Global patterns of urbanisation Theme 1

Unit 1- Urban areas in globalisation

Imaginary skyline advert for the Financial Times

KEY QUESTION:

To what extent are cities unequally integrated into global networks?

1. Case study: London

A. The Gherkin (in the City) B. The Shard C. Canary Wharf

Doc. 1 London’s skyline

London's Saint Pancras International station is the main railway hub. It connects national railways and Eurostar lines (from London to Brussels, Paris, Lille and Disneyland Europe).

Doc. 2 London's Saint Pancras station

Doc. 1 London's skyline

A. The Gherkin (in the City) B. The Shard C. Canary Wharf

Doc.2

A metropolis… Stock exchangeDense urban area Green space

Political Cultural Sports

Economic The City New CBD

Canary Wharf

Skyscraper

International airport Eurostar train station Motorways

Olympic Site (Stratford)

Towards Europe (France, Belgium)

Tower of London

Natural History Museum

Buckinham Palace Residence of the Prime Minister

Parliament

N

W

which concentrates power… connected to the world

Doc. 3 The central districts

London is the capital and most populous city of the UK. In 2019, the population of the Greater London is estimated to be as much as 9.18 million inhabitants. London has a history dating back to Roman Times when it was named Londinium. From then it developed as a port around the navigable River thames and eventually became the seat of political power and government.It has been suggested that London is the most important world city. This is due to a number of factors: - Economically, London is a global financial centre with a growing reputation as a technological

centre.- London has very good universities.- More than 300 languages are spoken by the people of London and the city has at least 50

foreign communities. Virtually every race, nation, culture and religion in the world is present in London.

- The city attracts a large diversity of people, from business leaders to intellectuals and artists. The city is a major centre for art and its museums and galleries are amongst the most visited in the world.

- London is one of the most visited in the world due to a combination of history, heritage, art and culture.

Adapted from A-Level Human Geography, Hodder Education, 2016.

Doc.4 The most important world city?

Places and buildings Location Scale of influence

London concentrates activities and power

Political

Economic and financial

Cultural

London is connected to the rest of the world

Transports

People

Globalisation: the process by which the world is becoming increasingly interconnected as a result of massively increased trade and cultural exchange.

A world city: a city which has a great economic and cultural influence on a global scale.

2. Case study: Detroit

Detroit neighbourhoods fall into ruins

Video: Detroit

Urban decline: the deterioration of the inner city often caused by lack of investment and maintenance.

Deindustrialisation: the decline of a country's traditional manufacturing industry. It is tied in with globalisation when it is due to competition from Newly Industrialised Countries (NICs).

A "shrinking citiy": a city that has experienced a decline in population numbers along with decreasing economic performance and unemployment

3. Cities are unequally integrated to global networks

World cities network

Main airports and passengers flows

KEY:

1. An unequal integration to globalisation

most interconnected world cities

other world cities declining city

2. A network of world cities the core areas of globalisation

main flows of globalisation