06 08 social sciences u4b

The Way People Live

Urban Expansion

With their industries, traffic jams and buildings,
cities are often seen as new developments in
history. In fact, the origin of cities goes back to
thousands of years and passes through at least
three distinct phases.

The first phase began around 5 or 6
thousand years ago with settlements that
grew into what we call the river valley
civilisations of Mesopotamia, Egypt, India
and China. These settlements depended
largely on agriculture and domesticated
animals. However, as civilisations grew
in size and trade routes grew in number,
these settlements became centres for
merchants, craftspeople, traders and
government officials. The division between
town and country, urban and rural had
begun.
The second phase in the development
of cities came much later (mid 18th
century) with the Industrial Revolution in
Europe. Factories needed a large labour
force and commercial activity created
new opportunities in cities. Looking for
employment and a better life, people
moved from rural areas into cities in

greater numbers than ever before.
The third phase began after the Second
World War. The largest and fastest growth
in the world’s urban population has taken
place since 1950. As the world economy

became more international and grew in
size, cities all over the world began to
grow larger at a very fast pace. Most of
this growth has been concentrated in
Asia, Latin America and Africa, although
some US cities such as Phoenix and Los
Angeles have been growing at the same
pace.
Nowadays, most urban growth results
from natural increase (more births
than deaths, due to a longer life span).
Moreover, globalisation has an impact
on urban expansion due to economic
activities. Most urban expansion will
take place in developing countries and
there will probably be an increase in the
number of poor people. Environmental
issues will also affect urban concentrations
and there will be a need for policies for
environmental sustainability. The number
of urban dwellers will continue to increase
and urban population will grow to 4.9 billion
by 2030. The new urbanites, the future of
cities in developing countries, the future of

humanity itself, they all depend very much
on decisions made now in preparation for
this growth.

Adapted from: />
English Toolkit 1 - Social Sciences

Photocopiable © Ediciones Santillana S.A. / Richmond 2011

Module

4B


Module

4B
Activities
1 Scan the text and state if the following sentences are true (T) or false (F).
a Factories required a large number of workers.
b People migrated from urban into rural areas looking for better employment.
cThe first settlements started in America.
d Most of the cities that grew are in India.
e Los Angeles has been growing rapidly.
fThere will be urban growth in developed countries.
gGlobalisation is one of the causes of urban expansion.

a

b




The Second World War began in...
...1945.
...1914.
...1939.
The invention of the steam engine
marked the beginning of...
...the industrial city.
...the Industrial Revolution.
...the French Revolution.

c



d




The Industrial Revolution started in...
...Spain.
...England.
...France.
The fastest growth in urban population

started in...
...1970.
...1940.
...1950.

3How do you say the following statements
in your language?
a It is hard to predict what shape cities will take in the future.
b In many areas, including the developing countries, many people are
moving out of the city, to nearby areas often called suburbs.
c Efficient transport systems such as rail links and highways allow
people to live outside the city and travel to work every day.

4Find synonyms in the text.
a commerce:

d stages:

b speed:

e job:

c factories:

f growth:

5Work in groups. Form an ideal city committee. Make a list of positive and
negative aspects of the place where you live. List all the things your city needs.
Think of means of transport, traffic, accommodation, jobs and environmental
conditions. Share your ideas with the class.

English Toolkit 1 - Social Sciences

Photocopiable © Ediciones Santillana S.A. / Richmond 2011

2Tick (3) the right option.