Transcript Metropolises

Will Metropolises Take Over
the World?
What is a metropolis?
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It is a major city; the chief city of a region.
People in the surrounding region are drawn to it.
It is a powerful urban centre with a high
concentration of activities, services and major
head offices.
It is a densely populated urban area.
It has greater economic and decision-making
power.
Is Sherbrooke or Trois-Rivieres a
metropolis?
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No, they both have far less economic and
decision-making power than a metropolis like
Montreal, Toronto or New York City.
Characteristics of a metropolis
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Downtown core
Residential neighbourhoods
Public parks
Public squares
Industrial parks
Interchanges
Suburbs
Tall office buildings and apartment
towers
Metropolises have recognizable
features:
Metropolises have:
 Historical and modern landmarks
 Landmarks can either be natural or manmade.
 I.e. The Empire State Building in NYC,
Champlain Bridge in Montreal are manmade landmarks.
 Mount-Royal, the island of Montreal and
the St. Lawrence River are Physical
features.
Metropolises all around the world:
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8 out of 10 metropolises with the highest
population (most populous) are in developing
nations.
Developing Nation:
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A country with:
 a low standard of living
 severe poverty
 low income and education levels
 high birth rate
 poorly developed social, economic, and
technological infrastructure.
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EX: Most countries in Africa, Asia (except Japan),
Latin America, and Oceania (except Australia
and New Zealand)
Developed or Industrialized Nation:
 A country with
 a relatively high standard of living
 high income and education levels
 lower birth rate
 well-developed social, economic, and
technological infrastructure.
 Developed
Nations: Canada, U.S.A,
France, England, Japan, Australia,
and New Zealand etc.
Northern Hemisphere vs. Southern
Hemisphere:
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Most countries in the Northern Hemisphere are
developed - wealthy!
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Most countries in the Southern Hemisphere are
developing countries – really poor! (see page 9)
Unequal power among metropolises:
 Economically
powerful metropolises are
found in the United States, Western Europe
and Asia.
Megalopolis:

It is a stretch of several metropolises in the
same area.
A region made up of several large cities and
their surrounding areas in close enough
proximity to be considered a single urban
complex.
 They form the heart of economic and global
power – run the world!
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EX: New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island, TokyoNagoya-Osaka
Comparing and Contrasting Two
(2) Metropolises
 The
previous image is the City of the Dead,
located in Cairo, Egypt.
 The City of the Dead is a massive
cemetery, which extends about six
kilometres.
 Due to overcrowding in Cairo people have
had to move into the cemetery.
 Overcrowding is a common problem that
metropolises have.
 Luckily for the people in Cairo it is
considered an honour to live among one’s
deceased relatives.
Montreal at a Glance
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Official language is French
Population is approximately 5 million in the
Montreal Metropolitan Area.
Montreal is located along the St. Lawrence River.
Montreal lies in the center of a large fertile plain
left by the Champlain sea.
Montreal is surrounded by a river system known
as the St. Lawrence Seaway.
Some of Montreal’s cultural features are: Mount.
Royal, Olympic Stadium, Underground city, St.
Laurent boulevards.
Montreal: Growth
 Every
year the population of Montreal
increases, mostly due to immigration.
 Immigrants
make up 28% of the population,
making Montreal a very multiethnic city.
 This
 This
forces many people to live off-island.
swells the borders of the Montreal
Metropolitan Area.
Montreal Metropolitan Area
Cairo at a Glance
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Official language is Arabic
Population is approximately 15 million
The city of Cairo is located on both side of the
Nile River.
Cairo also has fertile land along the banks of the
Nile.
Due to its desert climate Cairo gets very little
precipitation.
Some cultural features are: the Citadel of Saladin,
Al-Azhar Mosque, Pyramids of Giza and the great
Sphinx.
Cairo: Growth
 Cairo’s
population is increasing due to
migration from rural areas.
 Cairo
has very little immigration. Therefore,
Cairo does not have a multiethnic
population.
 Due
to the rapid population growth Cairo’s
city limits continue to grow.
Getting Around in Montreal
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Montreal has always been a center for water
transportation and travel, due to it’s unique
location.
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City officials have made great improvements in
recent years to accommodate larger ships.
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Government has also built many canals and
locks to ease the passage of ships into the St.
Lawrence seaway.
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Along with its port Montreal has two major
airports. P.E.T. International (flights) and Mirabel
(cargo).
 Due
to the size of Montreal’s Metropolitan
Area, people use public transportation and
personal vehicles to get around.
 Montreal
has an extensive metro, bus and
commuter train system.
 However,
the large majority, use their own
automobiles to get around.
What do you notice about
Montreal and Cairo?
 Like
Montreal, Cairo has a busy shipping
port.
 Like Montreal, Cairo has an airport that
accommodates both travellers and cargo.
 Like Montreal, Cairo does have a subway
and bus system but they are not as
extensive (as well-developed) as
Montreal.
 Like Montreal, the majority of people use
their cars to get around.
 Montreal
and Cairo are good examples
of major metropolises.
 In
both cities public transportation is
offered.
 However,
the vast majority of the
population use their own cars.
Major challenges for
metropolises:
 1.
Housing
 2.
Waste Management
 3.
Transportation
1. Housing:
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Finding housing is a challenge for the poor.
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Apartments are too are too often expensive,
in disrepair or poorly situated.
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Government-subsidized housing is available to
low-income families.
*Apartments paid for in part by the government
Finding housing in Metropolises:
There are many factors that play a role in
finding a suitable place to live:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
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Your income
Number of children
Proximity to public transportation
Neighbourhood
The environment
Many families have chosen to live in the
suburbs because rent is lower (low-cost
housing)
2. Waste Management:
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Ever wonder what happens to all the waste
from businesses and residents?
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Garbage trucks collect the trash and either
deposit it in landfills, incinerate it, recycle it or
convert it into compost
Waste Management and Developing
countries:
Garbage is piled up in open lots near
residential areas.
 Poor people spend hours salvaging usable
goods and materials they can sell
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Where does garbage go?
HOUSEHOLD GARBAGE is brought by truck to 1
of 5 landfills.
 Montreal Metropolitan area uses the
Lachenaie landfill.
 Waste products harmful liquids and gases.
 This is why recycling is important
RECYCLABLE MATERIALS is brought to a recycling
plant.
Where does the snow go?
300,000 tonnes of snow is dumped into
quarries, sewers and disposal sites
 The melted snow (water) is pumped into the
sewer system which then makes its way to a
wastewater treatment center
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Where does wastewater go?
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A system of sewers transports the wastewater
to the St. Lawrence River a few km east of
Montreal.
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The wastewater is first pumped through a
treatment plant, otherwise the river would get
polluted.
3. TRANSPORTATION:
The vast majority of commuters living in
Metropolises such as Montreal and
Cairo use their own cars to get around
the city.
What issues does this cause?
1.
2.
3.
4.
Pollution
Loss of Green space
Deterioration of infrastructure.
Traffic
1. Pollution
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Acid Rain, which contaminates water and
harms fish that we eat.
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Leads to many health problems (breathing).
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Air pollution is often referred to as smog.
2. Loss of Green Space
Cities grow in size and take over fertile
farm land
 Animals are displaced, forced to find
urban homes.
 Increase air pollution and CO2 levels
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3. Deterioration of Infrastructure
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Hundreds of thousands of commuters
(people that travel) use our roads,
bridges and public transit on a daily
basis
Deterioration of infrastructure:
1.
Roads and other infrastructure begin to
need repair because of the large
number of vehicles that pass on them
2.
Increased stress levels and mental health
issues
3.
Increased taxes to pay for repairs
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Montreal Metropolitan Area does not have
beltway* for large-sized trucks.
Beltway:
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It is a highway that encircles an urban area
so that traffic does not have to pass through
the center of the city.
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Heavy trucks damage concrete and
asphalt, slow-down traffic, and cause serious
accidents.
4. Traffic
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Montreal’s Roadways, overpasses, bridges and
highways are getting old and need lots of
repairs.
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Dangerous potholes and huge cracks damage
cars and slow down traffic.
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Traffic jams become more problematic as the
population in the Metropolitan Area increases.
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More vehicles on our roads and ongoing road
construction, due to aging infrastructure, cause
traffic too.
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Although it's cheaper and faster to take
public transit, most people living in MMA still
use cars. Why?
Means of
Transportation
Population going to
work
CAR
PUBLIC TRANSIT
WALKED
BICYCLE
TAXI
MOTORCYCLE
OTHER
70.4%
21.4%
5.7%
1.6%
0.2%
0.1%
0.5%
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Lane closures due to road repairs and
accidents cause traffic too.
 Some of the major highways, expressways and
service roads in the MMA need more lanes.
Who is affected by these issues?
 We
are all affected by these issues:
 Our
environment
 Plants
and animals living in and around
major metropolises
 People
and environments in other parts
of the world
Solutions to traffic-related problems:
1. Installing tolls and making parking in the city
expensive.
 Our current system includes buses, metros and
commuter trains.
2. Public Transportation in the MMA:
 The new Nova articulated LFS buses allow for
more commuters to fit into one bus.
3. Promoting the usage of bikes, public transit and
bringing back electric streetcars.