Urban Issues: A City in a Newly Emerging Economy (NEE) Case Study
Rio de Janeiro in Brazil is the named urban issues case study of a city in a newly emerging economy (NEE), illustrating why it has grown so quickly and the challenges rapid growth has created, especially in informal settlements (favelas) such as Rocinha.
Before you start
Make sure you're comfortable with these topics first:
Method
- Learn the location of Rio de Janeiro (country and continent) and its approximate population, including the wider metropolitan area.
- Learn the push and pull factors that cause rural-urban migration to NEE cities, and how migration and natural increase both contribute to rapid urban growth.
- Learn the typical characteristics of an informal settlement (favela), and learn the name, location and approximate scale of Rocinha as a named example.
- Learn the challenges rapid growth has caused in Rio, such as housing shortages, unreliable services, and inequality between wealthy and poor areas.
- Learn the name, date, aims and methods of the Favela-Bairro urban regeneration scheme, and be able to explain how it tried to improve quality of life.
- Learn how a major event, such as hosting the 2016 Olympics, brought both opportunities and challenges to the city.
- Practise weighing up strengths and limitations of urban regeneration schemes so a supported judgement can be reached in extended-writing questions.
Worked example
It is estimated that around 1.4 million of Rio de Janeiro's approximately 6.7 million residents live in favelas. Calculate the percentage of Rio's population living in favelas, to the nearest whole per cent.
- Divide the favela population by the total city population: 1,400,000 / 6,700,000.
- Multiply by 100 to convert this to a percentage: (1,400,000 / 6,700,000) x 100 = 20.9 (1 dp).
- Round this to the nearest whole per cent.
- State the final answer: approximately 21% of Rio's population lives in favelas.
Practice questions
Type your answer and press Check to be marked straight away, or reveal the answer and mark yourself.
Q1Define the term 'rural-urban migration'.Show answer
Answer: The movement of people from the countryside to towns and cities.
Q2State one advantage to a city's economy of having a large, growing population.Show answer
Answer: It provides a bigger workforce, which can attract more businesses and industry.
Q3Name the country and continent in which Sao Paulo, another large Brazilian city, is located.Show answer
Answer: Brazil, South America.
Q4State one service that favelas such as Rocinha have historically lacked reliable access to.Show answer
Answer: For example, clean water, sanitation (sewers), or electricity.
Q5Name the year in which Rio de Janeiro hosted the Summer Olympics.Show answer
Answer: 2016.
Q6A favela upgrading scheme improves water access for 12,000 out of a favela's 20,000 residents. Calculate the percentage of residents whose water access is improved.Show answer
Answer: 60% (12,000 / 20,000 x 100 = 60%).
Exam-style questions
Written in the style of a GCSE Geography exam paper, with a full mark scheme.
Some city authorities choose to clear informal settlements and rehouse residents in new housing elsewhere, rather than upgrading the settlement in place, as Favela-Bairro did in Rio. Justify why upgrading a favela in place might be a better long-term strategy for residents than clearing it and rehousing them elsewhere.
Show mark scheme
Tick each line you got. Your score builds from the marks on the scheme.
Nothing ticked yet - 6 available
The illustrative figures below (for practice only) show the cost of two different approaches to housing in a newly emerging economy city. A favela upgrading scheme cost 45 million reais and improved conditions for 30,000 residents. A separate new-build rehousing scheme cost 180 million reais and rehoused 20,000 residents. Calculate the cost per resident of each scheme, and use your answer to suggest one reason why governments in newly emerging economies might prefer upgrading schemes over large-scale rehousing.
Show mark scheme
Tick each line you got. Your score builds from the marks on the scheme.
Nothing ticked yet - 5 available
See real GCSE Geography past-paper questions, with official mark schemes →
Free printable worksheet
Want more practice on paper? Download the urban issues: a city in a newly emerging economy (nee) case study worksheet pack - 8 pages of exam-style questions with a full mark scheme. One email opens every download in this browser for 14 days - no account, no card. Print it for personal and classroom use.
Next topics
Not quite what you needed?
Tell us what is missing on urban issues: a city in a newly emerging economy (nee) case study, or which topic to write up next. Every request is read, and we reply to every one.
Build a full practice pack.
This topic is one of hundreds in the library - pick the ones a student needs and generate a printable PDF in minutes.