SOSC 1733 Lecture Notes - Lecture 7: Traffic Congestion, Spice Trade, Borobudur
29 Oct 2018
School
Department
Course
Professor
November 8th 2017: Southeast Asia
1
Cities of the World
October 8th 2017
Cities of South east Asia
• Indonesia
• Malaysia
• Thailand
• Philippines
• Burma
• Vietnam
Introduction
• Intro
• Historical perspectives on urban development
• Models of urban structure
• Documentary
• EXAM: Focus on models
Presentation
• Today’s presentation has been designed to give me an insight into urban development in
south east Asia
Introduction
• Southeast Asia countries have a total population of 556 million people with an urban
population of 244 million (43.8%)
• Annual urban growth of 3%
• Three largest cities are Jakarta, manila, Bangkok and Singapore
• Most urbanized countries: Singapore has 100% urban residency, Brunei: 73.5%,
Malaysia: 67.3%
• EXAM: Least 3 most urbanized countries in south east Asia: Cambodia: 19.7%, Load:
26.6%, Vietnam: 26.4%. Very low urbanized society
Historical perspective on urban Development
• Urban landscape of southeast Asia is shaped by Chinese, Indian, Malay and international
influences
• Colonialism and globalization influence urban landscapes of southeast Asia
• Since breaking away from colonization, many of these cities witnessed rapid population
growth after becoming independent
• All major cities have experienced rapid population since independence
Land use
• The region is dominated by primate cities notable Jakarta, Manila and Bangkok
• Land reclamation is used in port areas to provide space for urban expansion
• Similar land use patterns in cities throughout the region
• Ports develop for the need of trades, used for trade
• Need to expand cities, replace land for urban expansion
• Land is taken from places that were not cities before and transformed into cities
Cities
• Restructure economies to become IT cities
• Region contains some of the world’s largest cargo ports: Singapore
• Transnational cities are becoming more important in the region
November 8th 2017: Southeast Asia
2
• One of the ways our laptops come here is through shipment
Physical Geography
• Southeast Asia is characterized by more coast lines than perhaps any mother major world
region much of which is accessible to maritime traffic
• Region contains many fertile rivers including Mekong, chao praya, Irrawaddy and rid
rivers
• One of the major matters is proximity to a particular coast
• Fertile rivers and maritime traffic contributed to densely populated settlements because
they wanted to be closer to water because there are jobs
• Bangkok, phnom Peng, Hanoi and ho chi Ming city reflect importance of highways of
water
• Water highways facilitated commerce between china, India and beyond
• People can fish and work here so it contributed to crowded settlements
• Geographical location made south east Asia a meeting point for world trade, migration,
and cultural exchange
• Cities became centres of learning through the diffusion of new religious, cultural and
political economic ideas
Influences
• Most south Asian societies with the exception of Vietnam and Philippines were
influenced primarily by India
• Such influence was not marked by population influx of Indians or replacement of
indigenous culture
• Was a gradual and uneven process of exposure and adaptation
• Indian influences did not replace indigenous culture, it was just an exposure and
adaptation
• Religion: did not do what Europeans did, but influence through religion
Precolonial urbanization
• Two principles of precolonial urban forms
1. The sacred city
2. Market city
• Although both performed religious and economic functions there were differences
• Both marked by religion and trade economies
Sacred Cities
• Often more populous, more people lived there and wealth gained through agricultural
surpluses
• And gained from rural hinterland
• Sacred cities were sprawling administrative, military and cultural centres
Physical Layout
• Planned to reflect symbolic links between human societies and on earth and the forces of
heaven
• Monumental stone of brick temples commonly occupies the city centres
• They are religious cities, took into account what are symbols of religion and how do men
live on earth and how do they communicate to God (this is what is reflected)
Document Summary
Intro: historical perspectives on urban development, models of urban structure, documentary, exam: focus on models. Presentation: today"s presentation has been designed to give me an insight into urban development in south east asia. Malaysia: 67. 3: exam: least 3 most urbanized countries in south east asia: cambodia: 19. 7%, load: Cities: restructure economies to become it cities, region contains some of the world"s largest cargo ports: singapore, transnational cities are becoming more important in the region. 1: one of the ways our laptops come here is through shipment. Indian influences did not replace indigenous culture, it was just an exposure and adaptation: religion: did not do what europeans did, but influence through religion. Precolonial urbanization: two principles of precolonial urban forms, the sacred city, market city, although both performed religious and economic functions there were differences, both marked by religion and trade economies.
