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Lateline: City bound

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A city in China
Lateline: City bound

SUBJECTS:  Geography

YEARS:  7–8


China is experiencing rapid urbanisation.

Rural workers are on the move, searching for new opportunities in China's largest cities. This process is fuelling China's economic growth and improving the wellbeing of its citizens.

But is the rate of change too fast? Are there pitfalls on the road to prosperity?


Things to think about

  1. 1.China has a huge population and is experiencing rapid urbanisation. Can you name some of the country's largest cities? What sort of opportunities tend to be available in large cities? On the other hand, what problems do you imagine densely populated cities might face, especially if their populations suddenly increase?
  2. 2.What was China's economic growth rate like in 2010, when this clip was filmed? What percentage of China's population lived in cities? The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) China spokesperson predicts that the urban populations of China's largest cities will grow by what percentage in the next decade? Do you see any negative impacts of rapid urbanisation in the clip at this point? How were incomes expected to change by 2020?
  3. 3.Fifty per cent of China's population lived in cities in 2010. Why was this an important 'historical milestone'? How might those Chinese people not already living in cities 'fuel' future economic growth, according to the EIU spokesman? Explain the link between 'people power' and 'spending power' in the context of China's rapid urbanisation. How might this change Australia's trade relationship with China?
  4. 4.The clip focuses on the economic benefits of China's urbanisation. But how is China responding to some of the challenges that rapid urbanisation produces? Investigate how the Chinese government is dealing with urban problems such as pollution, congestion and lack of services. Choose an effective and appropriate way to share your findings. You could include pictures, tables, maps and diagrams to support your work.



Date of broadcast: 8 Nov 2010


Copyright

Metadata © Australian Broadcasting Corporation and Education Services Australia Ltd 2012 (except where otherwise indicated). Digital content © Australian Broadcasting Corporation (except where otherwise indicated). Video © Australian Broadcasting Corporation (except where otherwise indicated). All images copyright their respective owners. Text © Australian Broadcasting Corporation and Education Services Australia is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License (CC BY-SA 4.0).

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