CONTENT STATEMENT
Urbanization provides opportunities and challenges for physical and human systems in cities and their surrounding regions (e.g., development of suburbs, loss of habitat, central markets, squatter settlements on city outskirts, regional specialization in services or products, creation of ethnic enclaves).
CONTENT ELABORATION
Urban areas represent one type of human settlement. Urbanization is a process in which the percentage of people living and working in city environments increases compared with the percentage of people in rural environments. Across the globe, cities have grown in their number and in terms of spatial expansion.
Cities have major impacts on the regions that surround them. They serve as employment generators, transportation hubs, government centers and cultural attractions. While they serve their surrounding regions, they also present regional challenges. Cities can encroach upon smaller surrounding communities and rural areas, tax the capacity of regional infrastructure, affect costs of living and alter transportation patterns.
Some developments related to urbanization represent both opportunities and challenges. Industrial development may be centered within an urban area. While the industries may generate more employment, they may also pose threats to the physical environment. Suburban development around central cities may provide improved housing and, at the same time, impinge upon historical sites.
EXPECTATIONS FOR LEARNING
Compare benefits resulting from urbanization with concurrent challenges faced by surrounding regions.