GEOG 1HB3 Lecture Notes - Lecture 7: Agricultural Productivity, Neolithic Revolution, Fertile Crescent
27 May 2018
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URBANIZATION: THE EMERGENCE OF URBAN LIVING
Greater and greater proportions of the global population are living in urbans areas each year
• 200 years ago only 10% lived in urban areas compared to 50% of people living in urban areas
today.
• Spatial variations in people living in urban areas reduced from >75% to less than 40% of the
population.
The Growth of Cities: History
Emergence of cities
• Regions of first cities: Mesopotamia regions (land between two rivers) were among the first
cities. Located in the Fertile Crescent. They were followed closely by several other areas: urban
hearths.
• Emergence of cities: began approx. 3500 BCE
To explain the emergence of cities, we consider one theory:
The Agricultural surplus theory
• Nomadic (hunter-gatherer) societies—these societies existed millions/ hundreds of thousands
years ago. There had no agricultural surplus and move a lot to find/hunt food. They also moved
with their herds and/or animals. Their shelters were under rocks, trees, etc. These societies
were not stationary.
• Agricultural societies: Neolithic Revolution ~ 12,000 years ago.
There was key societal transformation from moving a lot to having permanent settlements.
Further agricultural discoveries led to plant and animal domestication, greater harvest and
eventually surplus of food.
• Urban societies: ~ 5500ya
These societies had surplus and that led to labor specialization. They focused more on
production, manufacturing and providing services.
• The principle of agglomeration economics— when goods and services are located near
one another; they are likely to thrive/ benefit more.
The cities after Mesopotamia (5500 years ago) but before the Industrial Revolution (1700s) were:
• Small & Compact
• Participated in local & regional trade (international trade was hardly done), education, religion
and/or governance
Level of urbanization in this period was low ~10%
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