Infrastructure Improvements
- As urban areas grow, the need for infrastructure and services increases
- The urban population needs:
- Access to clean water
- Sanitation
- Waste disposal
- Transport facilities
- Telecommunications networks
- Successful urban areas ensure that infrastructure and services increase at the same rate as the population
- This ensures that they are able to:
- Support and attract economic activity
- Minimise the risk of disease
- Reduce congestion
- Minimise pollution
- Many cities struggle to meet the challenges of providing effective infrastructure
- This is a particular issue in LICs
- In LICs, cities are rapidly expanding, posing greater challenges with:
- Traffic congestion
- Air pollution
- Unclean water
- Poor telecommunications
- The disposal of waste
Access to clean water and sanitation
- Providing access to clean water and sanitation involves creating:
- An infrastructure of pipes to deliver clean water
- Treatment works
- Toilets
- Urban system growth requires adequate and reliable water supply and distribution systems
- Infrastructure improvements includes upgrading pipes, pumps, valves, meters, treatment plants, reservoirs, etc.
- This can reduce water loss, improve the quality of the water, and increase drought resilience of urban areas
- Along with providing clean water and hygiene facilities, sanitation also deals with the management and disposal of human and animal waste
- Sanitation improvements have several positive impacts on urban system growth, including:
- Helping to improve hygiene and reduce the spread of waterborne diseases
- Enhancing quality of life and well-being
- Attracting investment and economic activity
- Protecting the environment
Waste disposal
- Increased population leads to issues with waste
- The UN estimates that urban areas produce between 7 to 10 billion tonnes of waste each year
- Poor waste disposal increases:
- The spread of diseases
- Air, water and land pollution
- Waste disposal is a major challenge to urban system growth
- Waste disposal affects:
- The environmental quality and health of the urban residents
- Involves the collection, treatment, and disposal of solid and liquid wastes generated by urban activities
- Infrastructure improvements can involve:
- Waste management systems that minimise waste sent to landfills or being burned
- Waste to energy facilities
- Improved waste collection
- Low-emission waste collection vehicles
- Education of the public regarding waste reduction and use of biodegradable materials
Transport facilities
- Increased use of private cars and growing populations have led to more pressure on urban transport systems
- Efficient transport is essential for moving goods and people around urban areas
- Poor transport infrastructure leads to:
- Air pollution
- Traffic congestion
Telecommunication networks
- Access to efficient telecommunications is essential for economic development because it:
- Helps improve communication between businesses, residents and governments
- Improves opportunities for remote work and education
- Increased access to information and services
- Telecommunications include:
- Telephone
- Internet access