Why is "Treating slum demolition as the only solution" a common mistake in Managing Urban Growth: Sustainable Cities and Case Studies?

Why it happens: Simple-sounding. How to avoid it: Demolition displaces residents and destroys communities. UPGRADING is now preferred best practice in most contexts. Source: 0460 Examiner Reports 2022-2024

Changing Towns and CitiesCambridge IGCSE Geography (0460)

Managing Urban Growth: Sustainable Cities and Case Studies

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Managing Urban Growth Study Notes — Cambridge IGCSE Geography 0460 (2024-2026 syllabus)

Sustainable city features. Slum upgrading. Curitiba case study. Why some cities thrive while others fail.

What you’ll learn

Mapped to the Cambridge IGCSE 0460 syllabus (2024-2026).

7.3.1 — Identify sustainable city features.
7.3.2 — Describe Curitiba case study.
7.3.3 — Compare slum upgrading approaches.

Sustainable city features

Transport + energy + housing + green spaces.

Public transport. Buses, metro, trams; pedestrian-friendly streets; cycle lanes. Reduces car dependence.

Renewable energy. Solar/wind. Energy-efficient buildings. Smart grids.

Affordable housing + slum upgrading. Mixed-income developments. Upgrade informal settlements with services.

Green spaces. Parks, urban forests, green roofs. Cool the city, absorb CO₂, improve mental health.

Waste recycling. Separate collection; high recycling rates.

Climate resilience. Flood defences, drought planning, heat-resistant design.

Cambridge tip. Mark scheme rewards multiple specific features.

Transport + energy + housing + green spaces.
Recycling + climate resilience.
Multiple features must combine.

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Curitiba case study

Brazilian model sustainable city.

Curitiba. ~2M population. Globally recognised model.

Bus Rapid Transit (BRT). Dedicated bus lanes; level boarding from elevated stations. Carries ~2M passengers/day. Cheaper than metro; almost as effective. Inspired BRT systems worldwide.

Green spaces. 50+ m² per resident — exceptional. Parks, urban forests, river floodplains undeveloped.

Waste recycling. 'Garbage for food' programme: residents exchange recyclables for food vouchers. ~70% of waste recycled.

Outcomes. Lower air pollution; lower transport-related emissions per capita; better quality of life.

Cambridge tip. Memorise specific figures.

BRT pioneer.
50+ m² green space per resident.
70% waste recycled.

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Slum upgrading vs demolition

Upgrading preferred best practice.

Demolition. Clear slum; build new housing. Example: Chinese cities. Pros: rapid; modern housing. Cons: displaces residents; unaffordable for them; destroys social networks.

Gradual upgrading. Improve EXISTING slum WITH residents. Pave roads, install sanitation, provide water, give legal land title. Example: Kibera (Nairobi), Dharavi (Mumbai). Pros: residents stay; communities preserved; cheaper. Cons: slow; politically complex.

Modern best practice favours UPGRADING. Accepts that slums house real communities and that gradual change works better than displacement.

Cambridge tip. Mark scheme rewards comparison + named examples.

Demolition: fast but disruptive.
Upgrading: slow but inclusive.
Upgrading is modern best practice.

See the full worked example for managing urban growth: sustainable cities and case studies →

How it’s examined

Urban management appears on every Paper 1. Most-tested: sustainable features (8 marks), Curitiba (8 marks), slum upgrading (6 marks).

Sources: Cambridge IGCSE Geography 0460 syllabus (2024-2026); 0460 Examiner Reports 2022-2024; 0460/22 May/Jun 2024 question paper and mark scheme. Last reviewed 2026-05-09.

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Step-by-step worked examples — Managing Urban Growth: Sustainable Cities and Case Studies

Step-by-step solutions to past-paper-style questions on managing urban growth: sustainable cities and case studies, written exactly the way a tutor would explain them at the board.

1Features of a sustainable city (8 marks)
Extended• Adapted from 0460/22 May/Jun 2024• sustainable
Question
Identify FOUR features of a sustainable city. (8 marks)
Step-by-step solution
1. Step 1
  Public transport (2 marks). Buses, metro, trams reduce car dependence. Pedestrian-friendly streets, cycle lanes.
2. Step 2
  Renewable energy (2 marks). Solar/wind power. Energy-efficient buildings. Smart grids reduce waste.
3. Step 3
  Affordable housing + slum upgrading (2 marks). Mixed-income developments. Upgrade informal settlements with services rather than demolishing them.
4. Step 4
  Green spaces (2 marks). Parks, urban forests, green roofs. Absorb CO₂, cool city, improve mental health.
Answer
Public transport, renewable energy, affordable housing, green spaces. Other: waste recycling, climate resilience.
2Named case study — Curitiba (8 marks)
Extended• case-study
Question
Using Curitiba as an example, describe how a city has been managed sustainably. State THREE strengths. (8 marks)
Step-by-step solution
1. Step 1
  Curitiba (2 marks). Brazilian city. Population ~2 million. Recognised globally as model sustainable city.
2. Step 2
  Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) (2 marks). Dedicated bus lanes; level boarding from elevated stations. Moves people fast and cheaply. Carries ~2M passengers/day. Inspired BRT systems worldwide.
3. Step 3
  Green spaces (2 marks). 50+ m² of green space per resident — exceptional. Parks, urban forests, river floodplains kept undeveloped.
4. Step 4
  Waste recycling (2 marks). 'Garbage for food' programme: residents exchange recyclables for food vouchers. ~70% of waste recycled.
Answer
Curitiba: BRT, green spaces (50m²/resident), recycling. Model sustainable city, model for global development.
Examiner tip
Curitiba is the classic Cambridge sustainable city case study. Memorise the figures.
3Slum upgrading approaches (6 marks)
Extended• slum
Question
Compare TWO approaches to slum upgrading: (a) demolition, (b) gradual upgrading. (6 marks)
Step-by-step solution
1. Step 1
  Demolition (2 marks). Clear the slum; build new housing. Examples: many Chinese cities. Pros: rapid; provides modern housing. Cons: displaces residents; new housing often unaffordable for them; destroys social networks.
2. Step 2
  Gradual upgrading (2 marks). Improve existing slum WITH residents — paved roads, sanitation, water, legal land title. Example: Kibera (Nairobi), Dharavi (Mumbai). Pros: residents stay; communities preserved; cheaper. Cons: slow; politically complex.
3. Step 3
  Comparison (2 marks). Upgrading is increasingly preferred — accepts that slums house real communities and gradual change better than displacement.
Answer
Demolition: fast but disruptive. Upgrading: slow but inclusive. Modern best practice favours upgrading.

Key Definitions and Keywords — Managing Urban Growth: Sustainable Cities and Case Studies

Definitions to memorise and the exact keywords mark schemes credit for managing urban growth: sustainable cities and case studies answers — sharpened from recent examiner reports for the 2026 0460 sitting.

Sustainable city
Examiner keyword
City that meets current needs without compromising future generations' — public transport, renewable energy, affordable housing, green spaces.
Curitiba (case study)
Examiner keyword
Brazilian city, ~2M population. Pioneer of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), green spaces, and recycling. Model sustainable city.
Bus Rapid Transit (BRT)
Examiner keyword
Mass transit system using dedicated bus lanes and level boarding. Cheaper than metro; almost as effective. Pioneered in Curitiba.
Slum upgrading
Examiner keyword
Improving services and infrastructure in existing slums (rather than demolishing) — sanitation, water, electricity, legal land title.

Common Mistakes and Misconceptions — Managing Urban Growth: Sustainable Cities and Case Studies

The traps other students keep falling into on managing urban growth: sustainable cities and case studies questions — taken from recent Cambridge IGCSE 0460 examiner reports and mark schemes — and how to avoid them.

✕Treating slum demolition as the only solution
0460 Examiner Reports 2022-2024
Why it happens
Simple-sounding.
How to avoid it
Demolition displaces residents and destroys communities. UPGRADING is now preferred best practice in most contexts.

Practice questions

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Managing Urban Growth: Sustainable Cities and Case Studies

Short Study Notes in the form of Slides

Detailed Study Notes

What you’ll learn

How it’s examined

1Features of a sustainable city (8 marks)

2Named case study — Curitiba (8 marks)

3Slum upgrading approaches (6 marks)

Sustainable city

Curitiba (case study)

Bus Rapid Transit (BRT)

Slum upgrading

✕Treating slum demolition as the only solution

Practice questions

Past paper style quiz

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