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IGCSE Geography Note-Taking Worksheet: Changing Towns and Cities

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IGCSE Year 1
English

IGCSE Geography Note-Taking Worksheet: Changing Towns and Cities

Chapter 7: Changing Towns and Cities

Learning Objectives:
  • Understand how towns and cities around the world have grown rapidly.
  • Examine why a greater percentage of people live in urban areas.
  • Identify the opportunities and challenges found in growing cities.
  • Explore how urban growth can be managed.


Section 1: Where People Live

Key Definitions

  • Urbanisation: __________________________________________________________________
  • Conurbation: __________________________________________________________________
  • Megacity: A city with a population of over ____________ million.

Historical Context & Trends

  • 2007 Milestone: For the first time in history, more people lived in __________ and __________ than in villages and the countryside.
  • Industrial Revolution: Urbanisation started over 200 years ago in High-Income Countries (HICs) like those in Europe and North America. People migrated to work in __________.
  • Current Trends:
  • In HICs, urbanisation is now __________ or has stopped completely.
  • In Low-Income Countries (LICs) and South-east Asia, urbanisation has increased rapidly since __________.
fig 1: Urbanisation trends from 1950 to 2050 (estimate) for different income groups and the world average.
fig 1: Urbanisation trends from 1950 to 2050 (estimate) for different income groups and the world average.



Section 2: Why do Global Urban Growth Rates Vary?

Declining Rates in HICs

Many HICs are experiencing counter-urbanisation. This is the movement of people from urban areas back to __________ areas.
  • Reasons for counter-urbanisation:
  • Desire for peace and quiet.
  • High __________ costs in cities.
  • Ability to commute from further away.

Rapid Growth in LICs

Cities in South and East Asia are growing most rapidly.
  • Natural Increase: The overall increase in population (births exceeding deaths) is a major factor. For example, in 2024, the growth rate in Chad was
    
    and DR Congo was
    
    .


Section 3: Why do People Move to Towns and Cities in LICs?

Migration is driven by Push and Pull factors.
  • Push Factors: Factors that drive people away from rural areas.
  • Pull Factors: Factors that attract people to urban areas.
fig 2: Illustration showing the contrast between 'Push' factors (rural challenges) and 'Pull' factors (urban opportunities) driving migration.
fig 2: Illustration showing the contrast between 'Push' factors (rural challenges) and 'Pull' factors (urban opportunities) driving migration.

Factor Type
Push Factors (Rural)
Pull Factors (Urban)
Social
Poor education/healthcare
Better lifestyle, cultural attractions
Economic
Low wages, hard farm work
Jobs in secondary/tertiary industries
Environmental
Drought, crop failure, famine
More reliable resources
Political
Civil war, lawlessness
Safety, political stability


Section 4: Living in Towns and Cities

Urban Housing Types

  1. High-density housing: Small dwellings with little open space, often in older city centers.
  1. Apartments: Multi-storey buildings; can range from luxury to low-income units.
  1. Low-density housing: Fewer dwellings per square kilometer; common in suburbs with gardens.
  1. Unplanned (Informal) settlements: Also known as favelas or bustees. These are built from makeshift materials (plastic, metal, cardboard) and often lack basic services like __________ and __________.
fig 3: An unplanned informal settlement in a developing country, showing high-density housing and infrastructure challenges.
fig 3: An unplanned informal settlement in a developing country, showing high-density housing and infrastructure challenges.


Urban Opportunities

  • Leisure: Access to sports stadiums, theaters, and cinemas.
  • Economic Development: Cities produce over
    
    of the world's GDP.
  • Multiculturalism: Cities like London and New York have diverse populations with hundreds of languages spoken.
fig 4: The Shanghai skyline on the Huangpu River, representing a major global megacity.
fig 4: The Shanghai skyline on the Huangpu River, representing a major global megacity.



Section 5: What are the Challenges of Rapid Urban Growth?

Housing and Service Shortages

Rapid growth leads to shortages in housing, education, and healthcare. Residents in informal settlements face:
  • Lack of legal rights (risk of eviction).
  • Disease outbreaks (e.g., cholera) due to poor __________.
  • Extreme overcrowding and poverty.

Transport and Pollution

  • Traffic Congestion: Common in all large cities; made worse by rapid population growth.
  • Air Pollution: Sources include vehicles, industry, and open fires. In 2024, Unicef reported an average of __________ children under five die every day from health impacts linked to air pollution.
  • Waste Management: Cities like Nairobi produce thousands of tonnes of garbage daily, much of which ends up in illegal dumps or rivers.
fig 5: Old Trafford Stadium in Manchester, UK, representing large-scale leisure facilities in urban areas.
fig 5: Old Trafford Stadium in Manchester, UK, representing large-scale leisure facilities in urban areas.



Review Questions

  1. Map Analysis: Study Fig. 7.3 (in your textbook) which shows the locations of the ten largest urban areas in 1975 and 2025. How has the distribution changed?


  1. LIC Urbanisation: Look at the following list of LICs and their current percentages of urban population (2025). Group them by continent. (e.g., Afghanistan, Burundi, Chad, Gambia, Malawi, Mali, Yemen).
  • Africa: _________________________________________________________
  • Asia: __________________________________________________________
  1. Migration: Complete a table to describe the different push and pull factors affecting migration (Social, Economic, Environmental, Political).
  1. Key Terms: Define the following terms in your own words:
  • a. Unplanned/informal settlement: __________________________________
  • b. Conurbation: ___________________________________________________
  • c. Productivity: ____________________________________________________
  • d. Underemployment: ______________________________________________
  • e. Multiculturalism: ______________________________________________"

IGCSE Note-Taking Worksheet: Changing Towns and Cities

Chapter 7: Changing Towns and Cities

Section 1: Where People Live

Urbanisation is defined as the increase in the percentage of the population living in ___________ and ___________. In the year ___________, a major milestone was reached when more people lived in urban areas than in the countryside.

Historical Trends

  • In 1900, only ___________ and ___________ had populations over one million (millionaire cities). Today, there are over ___________.
  • Urbanisation in HICs (High-Income Countries) began over 200 years ago during the ___________ ___________.
  • Currently, ___________ per cent of people in HICs live in towns and cities, but growth here is now ___________ or has stopped completely.
  • In contrast, urbanisation in ___________ (Low-Income Countries) has increased rapidly since 1950.
fig 1: Global Urbanisation Trends (1950 - 2050)
fig 1: Global Urbanisation Trends (1950 - 2050)


Conurbations

As cities grow ___________, they may merge with other towns to create conurbations. An example is Tokyo-Yokohama.


Section 2: Why do Global Urban Growth Rates Vary?

Declining Rates in HICs

In many HICs, there is a movement of people from urban areas back to rural areas called -.
  • Reasons: High housing costs, desire for ___________ and ___________, and the ability to ___________ from rural homes to urban jobs.

Rapid Growth in LICs

Urban growth in LICs is driven by natural increase, where the ___________ rate is much higher than the ___________ rate. For example, in Chad, the population could double in approximately ___________ years.


Section 3: Why do People Move? (Push and Pull Factors)

Migration is often described using Push factors (reasons to leave) and Pull factors (attractions of the city).
Category
Push Factors (Rural)
Pull Factors (Urban)
Social
Poor secondary schools
Better ___________ facilities
Economic
Low ___________ and hard labor
Jobs in ___________ industries
Environmental
___________ and crop failure
Reliable resources
Political
Civil war and lawlessness
Greater ___________ and safety


Section 4: Living in Towns and Cities

Urban Housing Types

Housing Type
Description
Visual Example
High-density
Small dwellings, little open space, usually near city ___________
fig 2: High-density housing
fig 2: High-density housing

Apartments
Multi-storey buildings; can be high quality or for ___________ incomes
fig 3: High-rise apartments
fig 3: High-rise apartments

Low-density
Fewer dwellings per km², often with gardens in the ___________
fig 4: Low-density housing
fig 4: Low-density housing

Unplanned
Also called ___________ settlements; built from metal, plastic, or cardboard
fig 5: Informal settlement
fig 5: Informal settlement



Section 5: Challenges of Rapid Urban Growth

  1. Housing Shortages: Caused by immigration, rural-urban migration, and ___________ growth.
  1. Traffic Congestion: Suburbs may be isolated due to a lack of ___________ transport.
  1. Pollution:
  • Air Pollution: Sources include motor vehicles and ___________ emissions.
  • Water Pollution: Contamination of rivers from industrial and domestic waste.
  • Noise Pollution: Caused by traffic, aircraft, and large ___________.
fig 6: Urban pollution and smog
fig 6: Urban pollution and smog



Worksheet Questions

fig 7: Distribution of Global Megacities
fig 7: Distribution of Global Megacities

Question 1: Map Analysis [4 Marks] Study Figure 7 above. Describe the change in the distribution of the world's ten largest urban areas between 1975 and 2025. Mention specific continents in your answer.



Question 2: Data Interpretation [3 Marks] Using Table 7.2 from your textbook, identify which continent has the highest number of Low-Income Countries (LICs) with an urban population percentage below

.

Question 3: Migration Factors [4 Marks] List two Environmental push factors and two Social pull factors that contribute to rapid urbanisation in LICs.
  • Push (Environmental): 1. ___________ 2. ___________
  • Pull (Social): 1. ___________ 2. ___________
Question 4: Definitions [5 Marks] Provide a brief definition for each of the following terms: a. Megacity: __________________________________________________ b. Counter-urbanisation: _________________________________________ c. Informal settlement: __________________________________________ d. Productivity: ________________________________________________ e. Gini co-efficient: ____________________________________________