Urbanization refers to a process in which an increasing proportion of an entire population lives in cities and the suburbs of cities.

Historically, it has been closely connected with industrialization. When more and more inanimate sources of energy were used to enhance human productivity (industrialization), surpluses increased in both agriculture and industry. Larger and larger proportions of a population could live in cities. Economic forces were such that cities became the ideal places to locate factories and their workers. A city refers to a place of relatively dense settlement dense enough so that city residents can not grow their own food. A city population, therefore, is always dependent upon its hinterlands to provide it with food. Not until agriculture developed could hinterlands provide food for their own populations and enough of a surplus to feed a city population. And in agricultural societies the surplus was so small that only a tiny proportion of an entire population could live in cities. Up until very recently about 200 years ago that proportion was limited to about 5% of an entire population. So cities existed, but there was no urbanization. Much of Third World urbanization is the result of overpopulation in the countryside. In villages babies have been living and not dying. A husband and wife who farm 15 acres might have three sons and three daughters. All now live and grow up. But there is not land enough for them to have the farms they need to marry and raise a family. This lack of land for burgeoning rural populations forced them to leave the village and migrate to cities. They find a place to live in the foveas and shantytowns such as the one pictured below but often times they dont find productive employment Causes of Urbanization: People move into cities to seek economic opportunities. In rural areas, often on small family farms, it is difficult to improve ones standard of living beyond basic sustenance. Farm living is dependent on unpredictable environmental conditions, and in times of drought, flood or pestilence, survival becomes extremely problematic. Cities, in contrast, are known to be places where money and wealth are centralized. Cities are where fortunes are made and where social mobility is possible. Businesses, which generate jobs and capital, are usually located in urban areas. Whether the source is trade or tourism, it is also through the cities that foreign money flows into a country. It is easy to see why someone living on a farm might wish to take their chance moving to the city and trying to make enough money to send back home to their struggling family.

These cond itions are heightened during times of change from a pre-industrial society to an industrial one. It is at this time that many new commercial enterprises are made possible, thus creating new jobs in cities. It is also a result of industrialization that farms become more mechanized, putting many laborers out of work. Effects of Urbanization: While it is true that opportunities exist in cities, it is also true that the competition for these opportunities is fierce. Very few people make their fortunes, and the rest must still find ways to eat and sleep while they wait for their chance. This leads to one of the most obvious effects of urbanization the growth of slums. Benefits of Urbanization: From the above, the growth of cities sounds rather grim. Why should such a destructive process be allowed to continue? One should not, however, be misled. There are many benefits to cities as well. Efficiency Cities can be tremendously efficient. For example, imagine 100 families living in 100 separate houses spread out over many acres of land. Now imagine the same 100 families in a single block of flats. Obviously, in the flats, far less effort is required to supply energy, water, heating, and waste disposal to these families. Additionally, only in cities are such things as recycling programmers possible, because collection can be made so efficient. Convenience In a city, everything is nearby. Access to education, health, social services and cultural events is much more readily available in a city than in a rural setting. Because things are located so closely, cities can make motor vehicle use unnecessary for many citizens. This is especially true when a city has efficient mass transportation systems in place, systems which are not feasible for rural populations. Concentration of Resources Because of the density of people, wealth, and other resources in cities, many institutions become possible that would not be in areas where such things are more spread out. Basically, when enough people are put together in a small area, they start coming up with ideas to do things cultural, political, commercial and social activities that just dont occur outside of cities. For example, without cities, there never would have been universities.