Urbanization in Bangladesh

Patterns and Processes

Lecture - 1

Dr M Maksudur Rahman
Department of Geography and
Environment
University of Dhaka
 Urbanization: Definitions
 Urbanization is the physical growth of urban
centers as a result of global change
(Wikipedia, 2010).

 Movement of people from rural to urban areas

with population growth equating to urban
migration (United Nations, 2008).

 A trend in the increasing proportion of the

national population living in urban centers
(towns and cities) (Rasheed, 2008).
 Urbanization: Definitions

 An increase in the number of urban centers over a

period of time (Rasheed, 2008).

 Urbanization accompanied modernization and rapid

process of industrialization (Kendall, 2007).

 A process in which an increasing proportion of an

entire population lives in cities or suburbs of cities,
areas of population dense enough that residents
cannot grow their own food (www.pbs.org, 2010).
 Urbanization: Key Terms
 Urban:…. is a locational setting in which (1) the
density of settlement is considerably higher than that
of general population, (2) the people in that setting
are engaged in nonagricultural activities, not in
primary economic sector, (3) the locational setting
serves as a cultural, administrative, and economic
center for a region.

 City:….a discrete area with a discrete population that

has legal status and margins of this discrete area, the
“city limits” have legal definition and recognition.
There are true, under, over bounded urban areas.
 Urbanization: Key Terms
 Modernization:… refers to a model of a
evolutionary transition from a 'pre-modern' or
'traditional' to a 'modern' society.

 Urban centers (a hierarchy):…… towns-----

cities---metropolitan---megalopolises (see
Theory of Central Place by Christaller).
 Urbanization: Key Terms

 Industrialization:… is the process of social and

economic change that transforms a human group
from a pre-industrial society into an industrial one. It
is a part of a wider modernization process, where
social change and economic development are closely
related with technological innovation.

 Urban Sprawl: also known as suburban sprawl, is a

multifaceted concept, which includes the spreading
outwards of a city and its suburbs to its outskirts to
low-density, auto-dependent development on rural
land, with associated design features that encourage
car dependency.
 Patterns of Urbanization: Bangladesh
Perspective
 Rate of urbanization: ….number of population increase in a particular time
in an urban area.
 Patterns of Urbanization: Bangladesh
Perspective
 Level of urbanization: ….percentage of urban population live in the urban
areas in a particular period of time.
Patterns of Urbanization: Bangladesh
Perspective
 Processes of Urbanization: Bangladesh
Perspective
 Urban migration:….refers to rural to urban
migration. According to Islam et al. (1997); Afsar
(1999); DFID (2004) the main reasons of such
migration are poor economic conditions, landlessness
and natural hazards in rural areas.

 Physical growth of urban centers: ..refer to

territorial expansion of urban areas and growth of
new urban centers (in Bangladesh the number of
urban centers is 522 (BBS, 1991), it was 48 in 1901,
108 in 1974, 492 in 1981).
 Processes of Urbanization: Bangladesh
Perspective
 Redefinition of urban boundary: The central
government of Bangladesh establishes rules that
permit municipalities to annexe territory. This
annexation determines the size and boundaries of the
local urban territory by the acquisition of adjacent
rural areas. For example, in 1981 the Chittagong
Municipal Corporation was contained within an area
of 269.58 Sq miles. The area was further extended in
1991 to 382.28 Sq miles (including river and forest)
(BBS, 1991).
 Urban population growth: It refers to natural
increase of native population occurs within urban
boundary.
Thanks for your attention