Benefits of Urbanization: Economic Growth, Infrastructure, and Social Progress

The benefit of urbanization is beyond description. Let’s know about the growing urbanization first before its benefits.

The Growing Urbanization

The growing urbanization needs behavioral change and adaptability to meet the challenge of urban code and conduct of life, and this part needs to verify proper health communication.

The growing urbanization is a recent phenomenon in the developing countries. We can recognize it by the sign of development of any society or country. The urban population has increased and rather is increasing day by day in most of the developing and developed countries. We can remarkably notice this increment in big cities or megacities, where facilities for basic human life requirements are enormous.

Radical Change of Population

The percentage of the population residing in urban areas has also increased dramatically. The number of urban areas and townships has increased, too. The distribution of population in cities in developing countries is of varying sizes.

Definition of the United Nations

The United Nations defines mega/big cities are those, that have a huge population of ten million or more. Some cities in this world have already packed jam-prone situations. The United Nations has declared them as megacities. The common question, therefore, may arise, who are these urban populations? The simple answer to this question is that the urban population has attributed both to natural growth through birth and by migration from villages due to multi-factorial reasons.

Why is Urbanization Growing so Fast?

The benefit of urbanization attracts rural people the most. They think they would have opportunities for employment, business, day workers, sole proprietorship, etc. They also think of having all modern amenities and facilities of better living conditions, improvement of social services including education, health, entertainment, transportation, and many other extra-urban facilities.  They think these facilities are non-existent in the rural areas of most of the developing countries. The continuous migrations of people from rural areas to urban cities have constituted a sort of social crisis leading to impairment or damage to the quality of life.

Why is Rapid Urbanization in the Developing Countries?

Rapid urbanization in the developing world has led to the uncontrolled growth of vast slums and small ill-organized townships in and around the big cities. The common causes of rapid urbanization are poor economy in the rural areas, unemployment within the rural community, search for work in garment factories in the cities, exploitation, social injustice, social malady, threats by the rich land owners, natural calamities, particularly flood and river erosion. All these conditions are compelling the poor villagers to migrate to taste city life. The lack of affordable housing and healthcare has forced many people to live in subhuman conditions. Learn more

The Benefit of Urbanization Due to Industrialization

The most common benefit of urbanization motivates rural inhabitants to relocate to cities. They think if they leave in search of perceived plentiful opportunities, they can get them brought about by industrialization. However, the expected demand for contemporary industrialization paves a new set of challenges for the lives of working-class people.

The Benefit of Urbanization Due to Employment

In rural areas, the employment opportunities are often limited compared to cities. Many developing countries have centralized offices, factories, and industries in urban areas, prompting people to migrate to cities for better opportunities.

The Benefit of Urbanization Happens Due to Healthcare

The healthcare infrastructure in rural areas is mostly limited, particularly in the developing and underdeveloped countries. Rural people try to relocate to urban areas for medical care. Besides, government hospitals in large cities are full of renowned doctors. The hospitals are equipped with medical supplies. Due to the lack of accessibility to doctors and essential medications in rural regions, many people try to establish their lives in urban areas where healthcare resources are readily available.

The Benefit of Urbanization Happens Due to Exploitation and Social Injustice

In densely populated countries, a significant section of poor people faces social and systematic injustices. They often fall a victim to exploitation at the hands of wealthy landowners. Facing such difficulties, they ultimately decide to migrate to urban areas, where they can settle in slums or suburban areas on the outskirts of cities.

The Benefit of Urbanization Happens Due to Natural Calamities

The movement of common people from rural to urban areas happens due to natural disasters such as drought, famine, river erosion, and other natural calamities. These calamities force them to cities in search of employment opportunities. In regions like the Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia, Latin America, and many African nations, economic and political disturbances have also played a great role in influencing this section of people to shift. Besides, social conflicts, family feuds, rural banditry, and theft have compelled them to flee to urban centers for safety and economic stability.

The Benefit of Urbanization Due to Globalization

Globalization connects people and countries across the world. It has created opportunities for more countries to join the global economy, benefiting consumers and advanced nations. However, it has also led to income inequality within developing countries. Mass media, trade, industry, migration, tourism, and power struggles between nations drive globalization. It has opened up opportunities for more countries to participate in the world economy.

The Benefit of Urbanization Due to Behavior Change & Adaptability

Changing behavior and attitudes need mental and psychological preparation to cope with the changing conditions of life. This is mandatory for industrial workers. The industrial workers coming from rural areas feel deprived of the social intimacy of rural life and feel isolated and frustrated within busy city life. All these conditions need analytical observation by community physicians and other health team workers to keep balance in the industrial workforce unit.

The Benefit of Urbanization Due to Slums

Definition of Slum

Slums are settlements or areas of poor housing with a very high population density. There is no difference between slums and squatters settlements. Slums are termed squatter settlements when located on illegally occupied land belonging to government, semi-government, autonomous, NGOs, and other organizations.

Asia, Africa, and Latin America

A slum is a deteriorated area of the city inhabited by poor people. Most of the Asia, Africa, and Latin America cities have given birth to huge slums on their outskirts and some slums are within the city areas. It indicates the low-income residents of a big city who create a slum. A slum usually grows both in authorized or unauthorized land within the city area.

Organizational Basic Life Support

Many people assume that a slum sometimes lacks social facilities. But this may not be 100% true. Sometimes social organizational basic life support facilities exist within the slum area. Some slums get help from foreign NGOs. However, those facilities are of poor quality and insufficient for their needs. Both rural and urban slums usually lack safe water supply, proper sanitation and hygiene, poor sewerage and drainage facilities with inadequate roads, latrine facilities, garbage collection, disposal, etc.

Overcrowding and accommodation scarcity are common factors in slum areas. Poverty and poor social service with no healthcare facilities collectively aggravate many diseases resulting in high mortality, morbidity, lots of social crimes, corruption, and drug problems. Learn more