Analysis of the reasons that support the massive urban expansion in Essay

Analysis of the reasons that support the massive urban expansion in developing cities in the Third World. Using the three cities - Essay Example This rapid rural-urban migration will mostly take place in developing countries (UN 2-20, 2004). People will be moving from the rural to urban areas for several different reasons, top of which will be looking for employment and better lives. Most of the countries that even today experience massive urbanization are found in the developing countries of the third world, especially in Africa, South America and Asia. North America, Europe and Australia also experience urbanization, but to a much lower extent than the developing world. This is because most of these countries’ urbanization started centuries ago with the age of industrialization and by now they are at a flood phase in urbanization where they have stabilized, and urbanization for them is mostly about upgrading current infrastructure to modern states. Furthermore, urbanization is also driven by the increase in population, and developing countries do not have high rates of population growth. One of the cities in Africa e xperiencing massive urbanization is Nairobi, the capital city of Kenya. Kenya is a country in East Africa. With a population of over 3 million people, the city has been considered the most urbanized in East Africa. Nairobi is in a centrally geographical place, with easy access to several airports and sea ports in the eastern Africa region (Llc Books 5-27, 2010). Furthermore, it is the most convenient route from the sea to transport goods from Kenya’s sea ports to landlocked countries, like the Southern Sudan and Ethiopia. The fact that Kenya is a democratic country means that capitalism thrives in the city, allowing for the free movement of goods and services. Nairobi also boasts of amenities such as roads, schools, a city council that is in charge of various services, international and local 5-star hotels among others. Nairobi is also the only city in the world with a national park within the city, called the Nairobi National Park. Tourism is one of the biggest foreign excha nge earners in Kenya, and Nairobi being centrally placed in the country offers easy access to some of the world’s best national parks and wild reserves, including the Maasai Mara, famous for one of the wonders of the world - the annual movement of millions of wildebeest across the Mara River on to Tanzania. Kenya’s coast is also a tourist attraction with its tropical feel and white sandy beaches only found along the coast of East Africa. Nairobi has also had success in being a business destination. Apart from the various investment opportunities available in the city, the hotels in the city also offer ideal locations for conferences and other business events. Easy access to airports also helps businesses. Nairobi was founded in 1907 and was initially an administrative centre, especially for the British colonialists (Morton 2-45, 1948.). Kenya gained independence in 1963. Over the years, the city has experienced massive expansion to its current population. An increase i n human population is one of the reasons for this massive urbanization. Kenya has one of the highest population growths and this has seen many urban areas expand rapidly. The increase in the number of people educated due to an expansion of education facilities has also led to massive urbanization in Nairobi. The government has offered free primary education, and tertiary education in Universities is subsidized. The emphasis on literacy has seen many people, especially from the