The process of urbanization refers to the gradual transformation of rural areas into major towns, urban areas, and cities as a result of increasing population growth. When more people, move from the rural areas into urban centers, they put more pressure on the existing resources available in the urban areas, prompting further expansion of the region (Khan, et al., 394). The phenomenon of urbanization is closely associated to modernization and industrialization as the urban societies adapt to new ways of living to meet the emerging challenges in the urban areas. Thus, urbanization results in a wide range of socioeconomic and environmental changes that are all aimed at creating more opportunities for sustainability through the efficient use of existing resources (Chitonge 63). However, it should be noted that the process of urbanization is not just a contemporary phenomenon, but rather a historic and rapid process that has contributed to the transformation of human communities over the years. Rapid developments in technology as well as the increasing rates of globalization have contributed a lot to the growth of cities in different parts of the world.
Modern cities and urban centers in the world make up to 4% of the land area on earth. Nevertheless, these cities are still home to more than 50% of the worlds population today. Surprisingly, this percentage is expected to rise significantly to about 60% by 2030 given the current global urban migration patterns (Khan, et al., 399). Furthermore, the UN projects that the worlds cities will urban populations will increase to about two billion between now and 2050 (Chitonge 67). From a superficial observation, growing urban populations seem to be beneficial form an environmental perspective. This is because the more people increase in urban areas, the less resources they consume such as energy due to the increased demand. However, a keen analysis of developing trends ion urbanization indicates dire challenges that cities encounter, casting doubts over the sustainability of existing models of urban development (Chitonge 74). For example, increased traffic congestion, blight, and smog are just a few among some of the environmental issues affecting urban populations.
From a geographical perspective, it is critical to understand distances between places. The process of urbanization has bene made possible in part due to the reductions in the aspects of time and distance (Khan, et al., 403). For instance, when urban areas come up and develop, people make use of new technologies to improve their lives by significantly making it easier to work and produce their goods and services within the shortest time possible and transporting the manufactured products from one place to the other within the shortest distance possible (Dumitrescu 256). Therefore, when analyzing the process of urbanization from a geographical perspective, it is essential for one to analyze the impact of the process to the perceptions or understanding of time and space in then specific areas of focus.
For instance, one important aspect of urbanization is transportation. Transportation plays a critical role in the development of urban areas. This is because transport systems provide mobility to individuals and goods, thereby influencing the patterns of growth and development of the area. A good transport system can influence the economic activities of the area. Thus, investment in transport infrastructure is usually considered a significant trigger of the process of urbanization (Dumitrescu 258). Transport system sin the urban areas are complex networks that are influenced by a variety of factors including socioeconomic factors, geographic, and environmental factors. Therefore, in order to understand the complex nature of the urban transport systems, it is essential to study the effects and interactions generated by each of the factors as they portray different patterns within the urban growth and development process as they reshape the urban space (Merkisz-Guranowska, and Stanko 84). Thus, urban growth is a direct consequence of the effects and causes of the transport system
As urban areas continue to grow and develop, the demand on transport system piles up because of the increasing numbers of residents who need to move from one place top the other. Good transport systems can make a place accessible, thereby making it easier for people to move in and out of the city as well as moving within then city with a lot of ease (Khan et. al., 405). Distance and time are important factors when evaluating the effectiveness and efficiency of public transport systems in urban areas. This is because both distance and tie have an impact on the consumers of transport services as well as other consequences on the motorists using the transport systems.
Traffic congestion occurs in transport networks due to then increased number of users at any particular time (Merkisz-Guranowska, and Stanko 88). Traffic congestion is characterized by longer trip times, slower speeds, and increased number of vehicles queueing along the road. Traffic congestion is not only restricted to road transport, but also to other modes of transport. The main challenge with traffic congestion is timewasting, which results in a lot of man hours wasted on the road (Dumitrescu 260). When there are many vehicles or road users on the transport network, the movement will be slow, which will make it difficult for one to move from one place to their destination on time. Traffic congestions, which have become a major factor in urban life in highly populated areas in the world, contribute significantly to environmental degradation through the greenhouse gas emissions (Khan et. Al., 407). Thus, creating sustainable cities brings the focus on how to resolve mass transport issues, for instance, by improving infrastructure through creation of better, affordable, and energy efficient mass transit systems that will remove most commuters from the road.
Traffic congestion is also a nonproductive activity which makes it difficult for travelers to effectively predict the time they will spend on the road before they get to their destinations. Therefore, traffic congestion affects how people view and perceive time they spend on the road when travelling to different places (Merkisz-Guranowska, and Stanko 85). Thus, affects how they plan their travel as they attempt to organize their journeys in such a manner that they avoid the traffic congestion by either travelling earlier or travelling after the traffic has eased down on the road. Masses of people in urban cities from all over the world spend vast amounts of hours on traffic congestion, burning volumes of gasoline on traffic jams (Khan et., 408). As more people move to cities and urban areas, the demand for public transport also increases. However, with this increase in demand, the supply of vehicles and other modes of transport do not increase in line with speculated expectations.
The steady rise in the number of commuters using public transport networks in leading cities has placed a lot of pressure on existing infrastructure, prompting a further expansion on the existing transport networks in the cities. The continued use of public transport systems in cities has brought about the issues of space and time in influencing client satisfaction rates among commuters and consumers of transport services in cities (Khan et., 405). The expansion of transport networks in a particular region has a significant impact on the perception of space and time in that area. For instance, new transport networks often create more space by opening up other regions and making them accessible to the public.
Conversely, new transport networks have an impact on time taken to travel from one place to the other. In most instances, efficient transport systems focus on making it easier for commuters to move from one place to the other with ease and within the shortest time possible. Transport systems affect how people, perceive time in various ways (Merkisz-Guranowska, and Stanko 86). For example, in some of the densely populated areas in the world, there is the problem of traffic congestion. As a result of more traffic on the road, people end up spending more time on the road. If the transport system does not provide adequate accessibility and interconnectivity for passengers, there are bound to be some spatiotemporal problems.
It is important, therefore, to analyze and understand the spatial and temporal aspects of existing transport systems in urban areas in order to assess the performance of the transport infrastructure currently in place. This calls for a focus on two key issues namely the network coverage of the transport system and the stop transfer potential. Factors such as the structure and coverage of transport routes, stops locations, the synchronization of transfers, and frequencies of movement all affect the ease of use of the transport systems in urban areas, which ultimately affect the time and space perceptions that the passengers and the other users of the transport systems have (Merkisz-Guranowska, and Stanko 89). For instance, a more connected transport network allows for ease of access in the city or metropolitan area, thereby opening up more spaces and making the region more accessible. However, when the transport network is characterized by frequent stops along the way, lots of traffic, and poor coverage of the network, there may be a lot of time lost on the way, resulting in significant losses.
The map below shows the transport network in London.
Source: The Telegraph
The other important aspect of urbanization, which influences how people perceive space and time is housing. As more people move to urban areas and cities, the demand for housing does up sharply. Consequently, the government and other key players invest in the construction of affordable residential and commercial houses for different markets or categories of consumers. As more buildings come up in different areas of cities, the region becomes opened up and more accessible (Merkisz-Guranowska, and Stanko 89). This changes the perceptions of space and time in the city among the residents. For instance, skyscrapers and tall buildings change the geography of the place once they have been erected. This alters distance between pone place to then other, the direction in which one travels form one place tom the other, and ultimately, how one perceives their surrounding in terms of the space available. While the tall buildings may offer vantage points for viewing the city, they also occupy spaces that could have been used for other developments in the same area. In rural areas, land is mostly seen as a resource for agricultural production. However, through the process of urban development, the land is viewed more as a space for infrastructural development.
In conclusion, therefore, the process of urbanization is an important factor in shaping or influencing how people understand and view the concepts of time and space. Geographers interact with the concepts of time and space on a frequent basis when analyzing different aspects of human geography. Urbanization is one such factor of human geography, which analyzes the process of growth and development of urban centers due to massive movement of individuals form rural areas into the urban centers. As illustrated in this paper, the process of urbanization influences our perception of time and space through processes of housing ad transport. Housing involves investing in infrastructural projects that result in opening up the urban areas further by creating more spaces for residential and commercial buildings. These buildings and related infrastructure will ultimately affect how people understand the concept of space and time in terms of describing distances, travelling, and...
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