Los Angeles - Megacity case study
Why did Los Angeles, the second largest city in the USA, grow?
- In 1876, the arrival of the railway stimulated rapid city growth with an influx of half a million people over 40 years
- The opening of numerous manufacturing industries, a Ford car plant and the discovery of oil meant continued city growth
- Good weather enabled both military and civil test aviation flights to take place - developing another dominant industry
- Hollywood also played a big part during the 1920s and 1930s when the film industry developed
Due to these 4 factors, Los Angeles was the fasted growing city in the USA in the 1970s. by the year 2000, LA had a population of over 14 million.
All major urban areas have their problems and Los Angeles is no different. SUBURBAN SPRAWL and POLLUTION are LA's main issues.
Suburban sprawl is the is the outward growth of cities and their surrounding suburbs. This became an issue in the 1920s and 30s when the development of tramways and motorways meant people could live in the suburbs and travel into the city. This was appealing as people could have their own plot of land to work on rather than live in the city. In the 1980s, people commuted upto 2 hours as suburban sprawl spread out as far as the San Gabriel Mountains. This long commute time had a negative effect on social aspects of the worker's lives as it meant less/no time left spent with family and friends outside of working hours.
Push and Pull Factors from the City to the Suburbs:
Declining jobs, pollution, poor schools and services, congestion, crowded housing, businesses looking for greenfield sites, fears for safety, high land rents.
Better schools and services, safer neighborhoods, low density- single family housing, more open spaces, better schools and services, large shopping centres, accessible, cheaper land for larger properties.
SUBURBAN SPRAWL MEANS NICER LIVING CONDITIONS...BUT IS THIS SUSTAINABLE?
The below diagram shows how pollution is trapped above the city of Los Angeles. Pollution exposure doubles the chances of developing cancer. High pressure is pushing down, trapping the pollution, whilst the mountains prevent the smog from moving out of the basin and the cool see air traps it in the other side.
Push and Pull Factors from the City to the Suburbs:
Declining jobs, pollution, poor schools and services, congestion, crowded housing, businesses looking for greenfield sites, fears for safety, high land rents.
Better schools and services, safer neighborhoods, low density- single family housing, more open spaces, better schools and services, large shopping centres, accessible, cheaper land for larger properties.
SUBURBAN SPRAWL MEANS NICER LIVING CONDITIONS...BUT IS THIS SUSTAINABLE?
The below diagram shows how pollution is trapped above the city of Los Angeles. Pollution exposure doubles the chances of developing cancer. High pressure is pushing down, trapping the pollution, whilst the mountains prevent the smog from moving out of the basin and the cool see air traps it in the other side.
Other Problems Facing Los Angeles
- Housing shortages caused by migration
- Urban tension due to ethnic differences
- Deindustrialisation - decline in secondary industry and growth in tertiary and quaternary industry
- Water shortages. Water is piped in to the city from 350km away. This causes disputes with neighboring states
- Waste. 24 million residents can produce upto 50,000 tonnes of waste per day
- Health and education. Many migrants can't afford to pay for these services
- Transport/congestion due to 10 million vehicles being on the road
- Massive energy use