Urban Sociology Essay

Urbanization is the process by which cities and towns are formed as a result of a significant population shift and settlement of people in central areas. This rural-urban migration consequently creates metropolitan areas, which face totally different dynamics regarding the socio-political and economical way of life, unlike other geographical locations. Statistically, according to the United Nations, slightly more than fifty percent of the world population lives in metropolitan areas, and the shift in population movement to urban areas is predicted to rise till the year 2050. This shift is rampantly witnessed in many developing countries across Africa and Asia. There are many problems be-devilling urban areas in developing countries that were not of concern to urban areas in developed countries, since the latter had foreseen these issues and planned for them early.

With urbanization comes a myriad of challenges that the metropolitan populace faces. In the developing countries, some of the issues associated with rapid urbanization include overpopulation; whereby, the number of individuals residing in urban areas has risen to the point that the resources available cannot meet the population's demand. Lack of proper, standard and affordable housing in urban areas affects the way of life; subjecting citizens of developing countries to inhumane and degrading living conditions. Inadequate infrastructure to sustain life affects urbanized areas in developing countries. A great percentage of the population relies on bad road network systems and insufficient basic social amenities such as schools, hospitals, and recreational centres.

Another issue is high crime rates, a menace associated with lack of sufficient employment opportunities and education systems that do not appreciate and value informal skills, talents, and innovative minds of its young citizenry. In the absence of economic security, crime thrives as a source of livelihood. High crime rates consequently imply high insecurity, which affects the business environment. Problems such as congestion, flooding due to poor drainage, development of urban sprawls, and the high cost of living are part of the urban life in developing nations.

Developed countries such as North and South America anticipated these challenges and through strategic planning and development, were able to put in place strategies to mitigate the stated issues. A crucial measure put in place in the US was the coming up with properly structured and detailed high-efficiency building plans to address the spike in demand for proper accommodation for the urban population. Storey building construction was incentivised to take advantage of the available space maximally. America also initiated Natural Resource Management efforts to ensure sustainable use of such as land, water, oil, soil, and plants for a quality life and, preservation for long-term utilization by future generations.

By developing proper and functional waste management systems and facilitating recycling, the US was able to mitigate the menace of waste disposal. Relatedly, they structured their urban development with proper drainage systems to counter flooding as most states border large water bodies. In readiness for urbanization, America established a sufficient and cost-friendly infrastructure to facilitate labour mobility. They set up public transport systems and encouraged its use with affordable prices, to lessen the severity of congestion that arises when an urban population embraces private transport.

Conclusion

In conclusion, it is clear that the reason why the developed countries did not experience the problems most town regions in developing countries are suffering from is proper planning. Thus, urban planning and development should be approached with insight to ensure equal distribution of resources and infrastructure. Consequently, this helps to meet the ever-increasing demands of the urban populace, by structuring settlement in a manner that improves efficient living.