Demographic Change

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2.1.1 Demographic changes are among the most direct influences on urban change and urbanisation. Movements of people into and out from cities, shape the size, configuration and social composition of cities. The conditions of the urban environment affected the demographic structure of cities by influencing the balance between rates of fertility and mortality. Improved living standards expectations draw millions of migrants into cities. The synonymous relationship between urban dwelling and quality of life.

2.1.2 Social change: Social attitude can influence character of town and cities. It can influence migration patterns and internal structure of city. Macro scale social changes can have a significant impact on the character of towns and cities. …show more content…

Innovations such as the advent of global telecommunications have has a market impact on the structure and functioning of the global economy. The effects of macro level technology change are encapsulated in the concept of economic long cycle of expansion and contraction in the rate of economic development. Pacione 2009 stated that the first of these cycle of innovation was based on early mechanisation by means of water power and steam engines, while the most recent and still incomplete cycle is based on micro – electronics, digital telecommunications, robotics and biotechnology. The different technology eras represented by Kondratieff cycles shape not only the economy but also the pace and character of urbanisation and urban change. Technological changes that directly affect urban form also occur at the local level for example the manner in which advances in transportation technology promoted suburbanisation. Emergence of telecommunications. According to de Jager, 2008 the competitive urban environment is continually changing as a result of globalisation and technological …show more content…

The increasing gap between rich and poor is evident, for example, rich people buy designer clothes, wine and dine in restaurants anytime of the month whereas poor people you will not see them in those places because they cannot afford that kind of life. Rich people always greedy, they are in competition amongst themselves instead of sharing their wealth with poor community. Materialism remains a dominant cultural influence in urban society. The effects of culturl change on cities are encapsulated in the concept of postmodernism. This is based on social differences and youth cultures for instance the inner city ethnic areas energised by different kinds of music, while others have alternative lifestyle such as gay communities. According to Pacione 2009:.., postmodern urbanism is also evident in the growth of cultural industries such as media and arts and in the regeneration of historic urban districts such as Gastown in Vancouver, Covent Garden in

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