Which one of the following is known as acceleration stage in the urbanization curve ?

Question

UnlockIAS · Accepted Answer

Correct — B, Second stage. The urbanization curve (Ray M. Northam's classic S-shaped or logistic curve) divides the growth of a country's urban population share into three stages. The FIRST stage — the initial stage — is a long period of low urbanization (typically below about 25% urban) in a mainly rural, agrarian society. The SECOND stage — the ACCELERATION stage — is the steep, rapidly rising middle segment (roughly 25% to 70% urban), when industrialisation and rural-to-urban migration drive urban population up quickly. The THIRD stage — the terminal stage — is where the curve flattens at a high level (above about 70%), and urban growth slows. Because the acceleration stage is the rapid middle segment, it corresponds to the SECOND stage, so option (b) is correct.

Why the other options are wrong — (a) Wrong — the first (initial) stage is the slow, low-urbanization phase of a predominantly rural society, not the phase of rapid acceleration.  (c) Wrong — the third (terminal) stage is where the curve flattens at a high urbanization level and growth decelerates; it is the opposite of acceleration.  (d) Wrong — the standard urbanization curve has only three stages (initial, acceleration, terminal); there is no fourth stage.

Concept: The urbanization curve describes how the proportion of a country's population living in urban areas changes over time. Geographer Ray M. Northam modelled it as an attenuated S-shaped (logistic) curve with three stages: (1) the initial stage — low, slowly rising urban share in an agrarian economy; (2) the acceleration stage — a rapid, steep rise as industry and services pull people into cities; and (3) the terminal stage — a high, slowly-rising or plateauing urban share in a mature, highly urbanised economy.

State PCS 2021 Q50 — Geography PYQ with Answer

State PCS 2021 Q50 — Geography PYQ with Answer