Read the article – Growing pains
Population levels are rising and nowhere is this felt more keenly than in the world’s megacities – urban sprawls that each house over ten million people. But such growth brings with it a host of problems – read more
Cities have been for thousands of years the centers of civilization as they have watched empires, kingdoms, governments, and corporations come and go. But in the space of just a few decades our urban fabric is undergoing a radical transformation; today’s wave of mass urbanization is historically unprecedented in speed and scale. Today over 1 million people are added to the global urban population every week; in the space of a few decades, we are in the process of doubling our urban capacity, adding an extra 2 to 3 billion more people to our urban environment. This documentary explores this changing landscape and the development of urban networks as the emerging geography of connectivity in an age of globalization.
Three British pupils travelling in India meet a local geographer who guides them through the periphery of the city of Bangalore.
The pupils see how urbanisation has engulfed villages and created narrow streets and densely built housing. The housing has been built to accommodate the rapidly growing population who move to Bangalore seeking work. They are attracted by the development of the IT industry. However, the pupils also explore the slum areas of Bangalore where people lack sanitation, healthcare and education.
Geography 