Over half the world now lives in cities.
And by 2050, more than 70 per cent will.
This is a good thing.
Cities mean less poverty.
People rarely starve to death in a city.
Urban incomes are always higher.
Access to education, health, water and sanitation are better.
Not to mention access to culture and other people.
Cities, perhaps surprisingly, are also greener.
It’s more efficient to provide food, public transport and local services to more densely populated areas.
City dwellers drive less and shorter distances.
They live in small dwelling that are more efficiently heated.
They use less electricity.
They spend less time in the countryside having an impact on it.
And, crucially, city dwellers have fewer children.
On average, when villagers migrate to the city, their family size drops by at least one child.
This normally falls to below 2.1 children per family, the rate that means the population will remain steady.
By 2050, it’s predicted that there will be 9 billion people in the world.
But if, by then, three-quarters of the world live in cities, the world’s population will begin falling.
Cities are our future.
Cities will be humanity’s salvation.
Cities rock.
If you’d like to find out more about why cities rock, read Doug Saunders blog and listen to the Freakonomics podcast on cities.
