Urbanization essay

Urbanization essay

Urbanization is an essential component of social change over the years. This process refers to the rise and development of cities and has had numerous impacts on numerous elements of social, political, and economic life (Timberlake 77-82). The earliest cities developed due to the increase in horticultural and pastoral societies rose that made it possible for people to stay in a single place instead of migrating in search of food.

Since ancient cities lacked sanitation facilities, people generally disposed of their waste in streets, which only led to poor sanitation and pollution resetting into rampant disease and high mortality rates. However, with the help of industrialization, cities such as Rome began developing more effective sanitation procedures that other ancient cities also adopted, leading to increased population in urbanized areas.

Urbanized areas are sites of innovation, population diversity, and modern excitement. However, these are also sites of high crime rates social injustices and several other issues. With the rapid development of urban cities, crime rates have been higher within the central parts of the town, whereby housing was crowded, and the standards of living were poor (Little 20-25). In comparison, in the outer edges of the city, whereby houses are spread farther apart, the poverty rate was significantly lower. The differences in crime rates in different areas of urban towns have been due to the ethnic backgrounds of individuals within these zones. With the lack of sufficient social amenities within the city, this only led to the rise in crime rates.

Due to the exposure that urban residents get from the advancements in culture and norms in cities, the individuals are more tolerant in comparison to rural residents of non-traditional attitudes and lifestyles. In the United States, life in most cities is filled with vibrant places, including cultural attractions, restaurants, museums, and densely populated by people from different walks of life and numerous ethnic and national backgrounds (Timberlake 77-82). Currently, it has become common for numerous university graduates to flock to cities, not only for seeking employment but also for the promise of excitement in living in a metropolis. However, many cities are also filled with inadequate housing, high crime rates, air pollution, and poverty.

Numerous elements determine the quality of life in cities, and one of the essential components is the social background of a person. This includes their ethnicity and race, gender, age, social class, and sexual orientation. Such dimensions of social backgrounds have only yielded to different types of social inequalities and the quality of life that a city resident can enjoy and will depend mainly on the factors.

For instance, a wealthy resident has access and money to enjoy the various prospects of a city. At the same time, the destitute and of a particular racial background typically experience the worst aspects of city life (Timberlake 77-82). Due to fear of assault, women often feel more constrained in comparison to their male counterparts from traveling freely throughout a city late at night. In some areas, members of the LGBTQ community are still subjected to physical assaults that stem from homophobia (Little 40-48). The type of individual we are in an urban area in regards to our socio-demographic profile will influence our experience.

Globally, urbanization varies as wealthy countries are more urbanized than emerging nations. In 1950, less than a third of the population of the world lived in cities or towns, and in 2008, over half the population lived in cities (Little 20-25). This represented the first time in history that most individuals did not live in rural areas. It is clear that by 2030, almost two-thirds of the global population would live within urbanized areas.

With the rapid rate of urbanization in developing nations, this will only elevate the numerous issue that most of these nations already experience (Little 40-48). As rapid urbanization intensifies globally, cities that are growing in emerging countries that experience poverty rates will be unable to solve challenges arising from urbanization.