1. The Security of Cities: Ecology and Conflict on an Urbanizing Planet
- Author:
- Peter Engelke
- Publication Date:
- 11-2013
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- Atlantic Council
- Abstract:
- Humankind recently crossed a historic threshold: over half of all human beings now live in cities. In contrast to most of human history, cities have become the default condition for human habitation almost everywhere on earth. Urbanization is proceeding rapidly and at unprecedented scales in Asia, Africa and the Middle East. These regions are poised to join Latin America, Europe, North America, and Australia as having more people living in cities than in rural areas. Between 2010 and 2050, the world's urban population is expected to grow by 3 billion people—a figure roughly equal to the world's total population in 1950—with the great majority living in developing-world cities.3 Our species, in other words, is already an urban one and will become even more so throughout this century.
- Topic:
- Demographics, Development, Environment, Natural Resources, Urbanization, and Developing World
- Political Geography:
- Africa, Europe, Middle East, Asia, Latin America, Australia, and North America