Urban growth is utilized as an indicator for a countries or an area’s economic condition as well as development. The growth of urban areas is often influenced by certain factors such as surplus resources, development of infrastructure, commercialization, education, and mining, among others.
Various Causes of Urban Growth
The two causes of urbanisation are natural population increase and rural to urban migration. Urbanisation affects all sizes of settlements from small villages to towns to cities, leading up to the growth of mega-cities which have more than ten million people.
- The natural increase in population
- Migration
- Industrialization
- Commercialization
- Advancement of transport and communication
- Availability of educational and recreational facilities
- Urban planning policies
- Topographical factors
- Unbalanced spatial development
- Transformation and modernization in the way of living
- Mining and investments
- Presence of functional administrative and social support offices
