The Growth of Cities

Sustainable Cities

In this course, Dr Jonathan Clarke (University of Warwick) explores urban sustainability by looking at some important contemporary social, economic and environmental challenges facing cities. In the first module, we think about global patterns of urban growth, notably its concentration in Asia and Africa, and social issues associated with rapid urbanisation. The second module considers the growing economic importance of cities, primarily through Saskia Sassen’s concept of “global cities”, as well as the impacts of globalisation on urban centres. In the third module, we examine cities as drivers of global warming, the impacts of climate change on cities, and how greater urban climate resilience can be achieved. We conclude with a fourth module on the relationships between urban sustainability, the built environment, and infrastructure.

The Growth of Cities

In this module, we think about contemporary patterns of urban growth and inequality in cities, focusing on: (i) the growing proportion of the global population living in cities over the last century - from c. 8% in 1930 to 55% in 2018 - and projections for the future; (ii) the geographical distribution of urban growth today, notably its concentration in Asia and Africa; (iii) some cities which are growing particularly quickly, including Delhi, Shanghai, Dhaka and Kinshasa; (iv) some important consequences of this rapid urbanisation, including increased inequality, poor access to services and housing, and urban development on land vulnerable to flooding; (v) the relationship between urbanisation and social change.