Urbanism- the process by which the population of cities grows
B. Origin and Evolution of Cities
Historical Patterns of Urbanization- Throughout history, residents of early settlements realized that agriculture could be used to generate food if deliberately placed in the ground and nursed to maturity. Settlements were surrounded by fields, where people produced most of their food by planting seeds and raising animals. Early people usually lived in clustered rural settlements, or dispersed rural settlements. Clustered Rural Settlements are were a number of families live in close proximity to each other, while Dispersed rural settlements are characterized by farmers living on individual farms isolated from neighbors.
Rural Urban migration and Urban Growth- Historically, very few people lived in urban areas. However, in the past few decades more and more people have moved to urban areas. In fact, within a few years the population of urban settlements will excce3de that of rural settlements for the first time in human history. Urban population is also a measure of a country’s development.
Global Cities and Megacities- Some global cities and megacities include Toko, New York, Los Angeles, Paris, and London. These are all very industrialized cities.