Urbanization Negative Impacts Essay

Introduction

Change within a society may have political, social and economic effects on the society. In some cases, the effects may either be positive or negative. This essay examines the negative economic and social impacts of changes that are associated with urbanization.

Negative Social and Economic Impacts

Urbanization can be defined as the growth of a given city center occasioned by the migration of individuals from rural areas.¹ This represents a change from a rural-based to urban-based society. Urbanization changes are considered to take place as a result of social, political and economic developments. It is important to note that these changes have negative economic and social effects on society.²

It is argued that urbanization has specific negative effects on society as a whole. The process results in rising numbers of poor residents who form a part of the low-income class.³ Besides, urbanization also negatively impacts the supply of water, food security and people’s health. This claim is supported by Li’s text⁴.

Besides, people living in urban centers are susceptible to diseases and natural calamities, which are inherently social challenges that face overpopulated areas. The increasing number of people migrating to urban areas exert pressure on limited state resources. This leads to coordination problems that directly affect the administration and planning processes.⁵

Urbanization has also had negative economic impacts. The urbanization process creates an unprecedented increase in urban populations; this puts much pressure on the already limited natural resources and infrastructure.⁶ Also, the process of urbanization has necessitated the use of land for residential rather than production purposes.⁷

This means that the land used for production purposes may be used for residential purposes to provide accommodation for the growing urban population; the consequence of this is a rise in the poverty levels among urban residents. The crises emanating from the growing urban population have raised the economic costs of taking care of urban residents’ problems.⁸

Conclusion

Urbanization is defined as a change from a rural society to an urban society. Urbanization is associated with changes that may have either positive or negative impacts on society. However, this essay has taken the position that it has negative economic and social impacts, which include the threat to health, food insecurity, poverty, high economic costs, and environmental pollution.

References List

Hu, J, ‘Socio-Ecological Impacts of Urbanisation’, Reading/ Writing Examination, 2006.

Li, M, ‘Urbanisation and the Environment’, Reading/ Writing Examination, 2006.

Footnotes

¹ J Hu, ‘Socio-Ecological Impacts of Urbanisation’, Reading/ Writing Examination, 2006, para 1.

² Ibid., para 3.

³ Ibid.

⁴ Ibid.

⁵ Ibid.

⁶ Ibid., para 3.

⁷ M Li, ‘Urbanisation and the Environment,’ Reading/ Writing Examination, 2006, para 1.

⁸ Ibid., para 5.