“Urbanisation and its Rapid Global Expansion: Pathways to Environmentally Sustainable Urbanisation

ARTICLE 5

“Urbanisation and its Rapid Global Expansion: Pathways to Environmentally Sustainable Urbanisation

A. CORE THESIS: URBANISATION IS INEVITABLE; UNSUSTAINABLE URBANISATION IS NOT

1) Central argument: manage “how”, not “whether”

• Urbanisation is among the most powerful forces reshaping:
• • Economies (jobs, productivity, GDP concentration)
  • Societies (migration, lifestyle changes, service access)
  • Environment (land conversion, emissions, waste)
• Policy question is not stopping urbanisation, but shaping it so cities remain:
• • Liveable
  • Productive
  • Inclusive
  • Ecologically sustainable
• Urban growth is a dual reality:
• • Opportunity: jobs, innovation, services, investment
  • Risk: pollution, inequality, ecosystem loss, climate vulnerability
• Bottom line: environmentally sustainable urbanisation is the only viable pathway.

B. URBANISATION AS A GLOBAL MEGATREND

2) Urbanisation as a long-term global transition

• Urban populations and economic activity are increasingly concentrated in cities.
• Acceleration is sharper in the developing world due to:
• • Structural transformation of economies