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Archived Features

The Dynamics of Global Urban Expansion


Many urban reports have drawn attention to the global trends of urbanisation, particularly in Africa and Asia. However, a recent report commissioned by the World Bank has vividly demonstrated the impact at city level of these global trends. Co-authored by Solly Angel, Stephen Sheppard and Daniel Civco, the Dynamics of Global Urban Expansion examined a sample of ninety cities from all over the world.

Some of the most important policy message contained in the document are:

  • Although many governments have attempted to control rural-urban migration flows, most, if not all, of these have ended in utter failure;

  • Urban densities in all regions are decreasing over time; If average densities continue to decline at the annual rate of 1.7% (as they have over the past decade), then the doubling of the developing world's urban population by 2030 will result in a tripling of their built-up areas.

  • The central message of the report is clear: Developing country cities should be making realistic plans for urban expansion, investing in trunk infrastructure and protecting sensitive land from incursion.

Read/download report:

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Full Report (205 pages, 13.5 MB PDF)

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Table of Contents:

I. Background and Objectives (18 pages, 165 KB PDF)

II. The Research Design and the Sample of Cities (17 pages, 212 KB PDF)

III. The Classification of Urban Land Cover Using Remote Sensing (18 pages, 656 KB PDF)

IV. Measuring Urban Extent and Expansion (25 pages, 1.7 MB PDF)

V. Modeling Urban Extent and Expansion (17 pages, 218 KB PDF)

VI. The Policy Implications of the Current Findings (12 pages, 170 KB PDF)

VII. City Data Sheets (91 pages, 11 MB PDF)

References (6 pages, 124 KB PDF)

Acknowledgements (1 pages, 106 KB PDF)

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