History and future of urban growth
Learn how city-states gave rise to modern cities.
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Transcript
Anyone who peruses history books will quickly realize that cities and city-states existed even in very old cultures. The ancient Greeks spoke of the polis, which meant city-state or fortified settlement. But it would take 2,000 years before the ancient polis gave way to what we now call metropolis.
In the Middle Ages, cities in Europe experienced a veritable boom. The population grew, and with it the economies. Merchants and artisans began moving to the burgeoning cities. They developed near fortified settlements, monasteries and rivers. Thick walls were built around cities to protect the riches within.
The railway increased mobility in the 19th century. Industrialization brought new employment opportunities to cities, and more people.
In the 21st century the transformation is complete. For the first time in history more people live in cities than in rural areas. Today, Tokyo is the biggest city in the world, totalling 36 million inhabitants. The second largest city is Delhi, in India, with over 22 million people. And Sao Palo, Brazil, with a population of 20 million, comes in third. Moreover, populations in megacities like these will continue to grow. By 2050 more than nine billion people will inhabit the earth, and the majority of them will live in cities.
In 1950, 70 percent of human beings lived in rural areas, by 2050 a complete shift will have taken place and 70 percent of the people in the world will be living in cities, especially in developing countries, where more and more people are moving to cities and often end up living in slums.
In the Middle Ages, cities in Europe experienced a veritable boom. The population grew, and with it the economies. Merchants and artisans began moving to the burgeoning cities. They developed near fortified settlements, monasteries and rivers. Thick walls were built around cities to protect the riches within.
The railway increased mobility in the 19th century. Industrialization brought new employment opportunities to cities, and more people.
In the 21st century the transformation is complete. For the first time in history more people live in cities than in rural areas. Today, Tokyo is the biggest city in the world, totalling 36 million inhabitants. The second largest city is Delhi, in India, with over 22 million people. And Sao Palo, Brazil, with a population of 20 million, comes in third. Moreover, populations in megacities like these will continue to grow. By 2050 more than nine billion people will inhabit the earth, and the majority of them will live in cities.
In 1950, 70 percent of human beings lived in rural areas, by 2050 a complete shift will have taken place and 70 percent of the people in the world will be living in cities, especially in developing countries, where more and more people are moving to cities and often end up living in slums.