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New
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Year 11
Edexcel B

Urban change over time

I can analyse how, and the reasons why, urban areas change.

icon-background-square
New
New
Year 11
Edexcel B

Urban change over time

I can analyse how, and the reasons why, urban areas change.

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These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Urban areas change over time.
  2. Urban population numbers, distribution and spatial growth change over time.
  3. Processes of urban change include urbanisation, suburbanisation, de-industrialisation and regeneration.
  4. Counter-urbanisation is a process leading to urban change.

Keywords

  • Suburbanisation - the movement of people from more central urban areas to the outskirts of an urban area

  • Urban sprawl - the unplanned, and often rapid, growth of urban areas into the surrounding countryside

  • De-industrialisation - the loss of manufacturing industries from urban areas

  • Regeneration - investing money into poorer and derelict urban areas where there was once a sustainable economy in industry

Common misconception

Urban areas can only experience one process of urban change at a time.

While in theory urban changes appear to follow a logical order, in reality processes often overlap and it is best to avoid thinking of changes occurring along a set timeline.


To help you plan your year 11 geography lesson on: Urban change over time, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

Urban sprawl can be demonstrated well through students comparing old maps of cities to those of today.
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This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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6 Questions

Q1.
What is urbanisation?
Correct answer: The increase in the proportion of people living in cities
The movement of people from cities to rural areas
The development of farming land
The process of building more houses in the countryside
Q2.
Which of the following is a major cause of urban growth?
More people moving to rural areas
Factories moving to the countryside
A decrease in job opportunities in cities
Correct answer: High birth rates and migration to cities
Q3.
What is a megacity?
A city with many skyscrapers
Correct answer: A city with over 10 million people
A city spread across multiple countries
A city with the largest land area
Q4.
Which is not a challenge caused by urbanisation?
Traffic congestion
Air pollution
Correct answer: Increased farmland
Housing shortages
Q5.
Which of the following is a pull factor attracting people to cities?
High crime rates
Lack of clean water
Poor healthcare services
Correct answer: More job opportunities
Q6.
Which industry sector includes manufacturing and construction?
Primary
Correct answer: Secondary
Tertiary
Quaternary

4 Questions

Q1.
Around the world there is an overall trend of urban areas __________ in size: by population and by their physical footprint.
shrinking
Correct answer: growing
stagnating
Q2.
What is suburbanisation?
The movement of people from rural areas to cities
The decline of inner-city areas
Correct answer: The expansion of cities into surrounding areas
The redevelopment of old industrial zones
Q3.
What is urban sprawl?
Correct answer: The uncontrolled expansion of cities into surrounding areas
The movement of people back to the city centre
The redevelopment of abandoned buildings
The decline of industrial areas
Q4.
Which of these statements is true?
Urban areas can only experience one process of urban change at a time.
Correct answer: In theory urban changes follow a logical order, in reality processes overlap.
Once a city is built, it hardly changes at all.