(i) Identify one group of working people that have been classified as “not formally employed”.

(ii) Distinguish between the main employment characteristics for the two areas shown.

Explain two population movements taking place within large cities.

“Most large cities suffer from a serious problem of urban poverty for which there is no solution.” Discuss this statement.

(i) People in the informal sector. Also accept charity work, carers, criminal activity or specified groups of informal workers eg, car windscreen cleaners.

(ii) Award [1 mark] for any of the following, up to [3 marks]:

• area A has most people in “skilled manual”/category 4
• area B has most people in “not formally employed”/category 7
• area B has an even spread across groups 3–6/different types of manual work
• area A has a high category 2–3/lower professional groups
• credit other valid significant points, or attempts at quantification.

For each population movement, award [1 mark] for the identification of a population movement and [2 marks] for reasons explaining why the movement occurs. These can be outlined push or pull factors, but do not double-credit “mirrored” reasons (eg, less space in inner city, more space out of town).

A range of answers are possible, for example:

• the movement of families with children from the inner city to the suburbs [1 mark]
• due to push factors such as pollution from traffic [1 mark]
• the pull factors such as better education opportunities [1 mark].

There are many problems related to poverty that candidates can use. These include deprivation, overcrowding, poor quality housing, crime and inequality. Candidates may agree or disagree with the statement. Likely contrasts will be made between high-income countries and low-income countries.

Urban poverty and deprivation can take many forms – unemployment and underemployment, poor diet, lack of clean water. Solutions may be very costly, and there might not be the political will to invest resources on the most deprived. Overcrowding can lead to pressure on resources (water, sanitation) and it may help spread disease. Solutions include new housing developments, site and service schemes, provision of piped water and improved sanitation.

Solutions could include informal/shanty towns, new towns, new cities, affordable housing, rural development. The fundamental problem is that as long as cities are attractive places for people to live and work, they will continue to attract more people, thereby making it difficult to solve the problem of poverty.

Credit answers that argue that urban poverty can be resolved (Curitiba, economic growth in China, India pulling people out of poverty).

At band D, responses are likely to describe either some urban problems or one or more possible solutions. Evidence may be generalized or lacking.

At band E, expect either a greater range of problems and/or solutions to be covered or some explicit discussion of the truth of the statement (eg, recognizes the urban context determines the severity of the problem and/or the solutions sought).

At band F, expect both.

Marks should be allocated according to the markbands.

There were some very good responses regarding the sustainable management of urban areas, with case studies including Rio de Janeiro, Curitiba, and the London Olympics, showing a clear understanding of sustainability in cities, including diagrams, and an explicit examination of the challenges facing many cities. Weaker answers were often descriptive. Often, little attempt was made to define sustainability and as a consequence many answers degenerated into long-winded descriptions of recycling and reducing traffic in cities. 

This was a popular question with some very good responses and effective use of case studies. Many described problems of poverty in cities in both high-income and low-income countries, put forward possible solutions and discussed their effectiveness. Weaker responses were merely generalized descriptions of urban problems.

This was a popular question with some very good responses and effective use of case studies. Many described problems of poverty in cities in both high-income and low-income countries, put forward possible solutions and discussed their effectiveness. Weaker responses were merely generalized descriptions of urban problems.