URBANIZATION

POPULATION GROWTH OF ONE URBAN CITY: KINGSTON, JAMAICA

Population of Kingston:

1921: 64 000
1982: 104 000
1991: 97 000
2001: 96 000

When did the greatest increase in population take place?

Kingston is the largest settlement in Jamaica. Kingston and its surroundings (suburban areas) house
almost 1/3 of the total population. The city of Kingston has grown so much that it has combined with
the urban area of St. Andrew to create the Kingston and St. Andrew Metropolitan Area, now referred to
as KMA. The main cause of growth is rural-urban migration. As people move to the city, they also had
children so natural increase also contributed to the growth.

Reasons for migration:

 It is the chief centre and seat of government offices including the ministerial head office.
 Largest industrial centre with a diverse range of industrial activities eg. Marcus Garvey Industrial
zone.
 It is a centre for sports and entertainment. Jamaica’s largest sporting venues are at Sabina park
and stadium Park. These host international events. There are also night clubs, game halls and
cinemas.
 It is a centre for education. Kingston has more primary, secondary and tertiary educational
institutions than any other town in Jamaica eg. UWI Mona
 Kingston is a centre for business and commerce: financial institutions such as banks, insurance
companies, stock exchange are located in the city.

Since 1981, there has been a slow growth in population and there has even been a decline. This is partly
a result of counter-urbanization.
 PROBLEMS OF URBANIZATION

1. Unemployment: Despite the presence of industrial and commercial activities, there is still a high rate
of unemployment in the cities. Due to high population growth caused by natural increase and migration,
the demand for jobs has increased. High unemployment id due to:

 The influx of migrants (from rural areas as well as internationally)

 High levels of unskilled labour (people who migrate from rural areas). The demand for skilled
labour comes from the secondary and tertiary sectors.
 Language difficulties (international migrants)
 The rise of the informal sector-small scale, family oriented business, sometimes referred to as
‘black market’ eg. street vending. Problems associated with the the informal sector:
 Traffic
 Goods are considered illegal
 Lack contribution to GDP

2. Shortage of housing: As city population increase, the demand for housing facilities also increases.
Within urban areas, the price of land is high due to the presence of commercial activities. Due to the
high level of unemployment, high cost of living, not everyone is able to afford housing. Some people
move out of the city and into the suburbs. This leads to the development of slums and ghettoes or
shanty towns ( located at the edge of an urban settlement. The standard of the buildings are poor and
clean water supplies, drainage and electrical supplies are inadequate or non-existent. Medical services,
educational facilities and shops are poorly developed or lacking. Also threat of overcrowding and
diseases and crime are rampant.

3. Public and social services:

 Lack of sanitary facilities. Lack of sanitation, shortage of water supply, lack of adequate facilities
for the disposal of solid waste and garbage creates a polluted environment. The disposal of
sewage for large numbers of people leads to water pollution. Solid waste management in the
cities in the Caribbean involve municipal waste, industrial, hazardous and biomedical wastes.
The cities are known for all forms of land, air and water pollution.
 Educational facilities. There is a high demand for educational facilities (schools, colleges,
universities)
 Recreational facilities. Although there are a wide variety of recreational facilities available, they
become over-stretched, due to demands from a growing population.

4. Traffic: A major problem in Caribbean cities, is transport to and from within the city. The volume of
traffic has increased rapidly, which adds to people’s fuel bills and is a major cause of air pollution. The
road networks are unable to cope with large numbers. The demand for parking is also high. There have
been many attempts to solve traffic and congestion problems including multi-storey car parks, the
assistance of PTSC and in Trinidad for instance the development of the water taxi. Traffic congestion also
adds to noise pollution.

5. Environmental pollution and global warming: Cities in the Caribbean are plagued by air, land and
noise pollution.

 Large numbers of vehicles increase levels of carbon monoxide and sulphur dioxide form exhaust.
 Waste gases and smoke is emitted from industries.
 Industries also dump waste into waterways and drainage systems.
 There is an increase in household garbage as well as industrial garbage. These are dumped in
landfills.
 Improper sewage disposal also leads to water pollution.

Urban areas have been shown to contribute to global warming. Urban areas, due to industrial activities,
release green house gases (GHG’s) into the atmosphere (carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, methane, CFC’s,
water vapour). Urban areas are known to create heat islands, due to high rise buildings and lack of
vegetation that trap and cause increase in heat.

6. Disruption in hydrological cycle and flooding: Concrete and paved services impede filtration and
increases surface run off. A lack of vegetation reduces transpiration from leaves and interception of
water by plants. The hydrological cycle is modified due to this urban landscape. More surface runoff and
presence of drains lead to flooding. Pollution also contributes to flooding with the blocking of drains and
rivers. An increase in the heat also leads to convectional rainfall.

7. Threat to agricultural land: With the growth of cities and urban expansion, fertile agricultural land is
being lost. The growth of urban areas around coastal regions has also lead to land reclamation and
destruction of mangrove vegetation and other ecosystems along the coast. Removal of mangrove leads
to:

 Loss of habitat to mangrove species

 Risk of coastal erosion
 BENEFITS OF URBANIZATION

 People who leave rural areas and move to urban areas have the opportunity of obtaining a
higher income. This is due to the number of jobs available within the secondary and tertiary
sectors. There is also mobility within the job sector. This means there is an avenue for
promotion. A higher income will result in a higher standard of living. Money is also sent to
families in rural areas, which can improve the standard of living.

 People who migrate to rural areas to work in urban areas, provide a ‘labour pool’. This produces
a labour force for the industrial and commercial sectors. As a result, it increases the output of
goods and services, therefore an increase in trade and economic development.

 People who move to urban areas are offered a higher standard of living due to the availability of
social services. Utilities such as clean water and electricity services such as health, education and
transport are provided. These services are regular, available and are in close proximity.

 Where resources in rural areas are over-utilized because of dense populations, migration of
people out of these rural areas reduces the strain on resources for example there is less demand
on land for settlement. Resources like water and forest may adequately serve the small rural
population. Many rural hillsides have been settled causing hazards on slopes. This will be
reduced.
 CONTROLLING URBANISATION

 Decentralization
The practice of encouraging industry away from the centres of cities and towns. Many
governments lure investors away from the city to areas where space is available. Governments
establish industrial zones/estates with good infrastructure. These sites encourage industries to
locate in these areas. Tax incentives are given for industries to set up in rural areas. This will
employ young people and diversify the rural economy. The Puerto Rican Government has given
firms 10-17 years tax free exemptions to encourage them to set up industries away form San
Juan and in depressed localities. Advantages of decentralisation:
 Reduced traffic
 Slower rate of migration
 Reduction in urban pollution
 Reduced demand for resources

 Urban Restrictions
The policy of restricting development of some industrial and commercial activities within cities
and encouraging their development in areas outside of the city. Governments usually have
zoning laws or a green belt policy. A ‘green belt policy’ is an area of countryside around cities
and towns where development is prohibited. The aim is to prevent suburbs form expanding and
merging with other towns. This policy:
 Restricts the construction of buildings in a band immediately around cities.
 Limit urban and industrial sprawl.
 Eases traffic congestion

 Development of new settlement (satellite towns); suburban development

The development of new settlement or satellite towns away from the city or in the outer
suburbs, reduces the problems of the inner city. A suburban area is a built up area of a town or
city that includes residential and commercial activities. These areas attract new settlers where
more residential space is available, reducing congestion of the city. These areas are sometimes
called the urban fringe. The advantages of building here:
 Reduces traffic flow in city
 Slows down the rate of squatting in urban areas
 Provides employment due to the presence of commercial and industrial enterprises

In Trinidad for example, the establishment of new centres of growth has redistributed the
population away from the capital. The government has embarked on a policy of building industrial
estates, shopping malls and local universities (UTT) away from traditional centres of growth. This will
provide alternative employment opportunities and spread development to the interior of the country.
Development of Housing Schemes away from centres of growth.
 Urban Housing Improvements/Urban Planning
Urbanization can be controlled by urban planning. A good example is urban change, taking place
in P.O.S. Familiar buildings are torn down, to make way for newer structures, such as multi-
storey buildings to house shopping malls and government offices. The government has
embarked on a massive construction project in downtown POS known as the Water Front
project.

 Rural Development
Rural to urban migration can be reduced by government programmes to develop rural areas by:
 Improvement in agriculture. Development Programmes eg. Project Oasis at Ebony Park
in Clarendon, Jamaica. It is designed to attract young farmers to settle and to promote
commercial agricultural land. Land needs to be available to farmers. Agricultural loans
can be set up. New lands can be opened up. This will create employment and prevent
rural drift to the city.
 Provision or improvement in social services. The building of essential infrastructure such
as roads, water, electricity supply. Within the Caribbean, land settlement programs have
been implementing the provision of these services.
 Developing the manufacturing sector eg. food processing plants in rural areas. This will
stimulate agricultural production because of the ready market for agricultural raw
materials. This will provide employment as well as processed ford for the population.