The Enduring Allure of Urban Environments

Even if the swelling modern metropolis doesn't reflect the gleaming city of science fiction, Edwin Heathcote finds much to be optimistic about with regard to the future of cities on a rapidly urbanizing planet.

2 minute read

June 14, 2013, 7:00 AM PDT

By Jonathan Nettler @nettsj


The numbers are astonishing. After surpassing the threshold at which more people live in cities than do not for the first time in recorded history in the last few years, 75 percent of humans will live in cities within 20 years. 

"Can cities cope with these explosive increases in population?" asks Heathcote. "The city of the future used to be envisioned as a sci-fi landscape of flying cars and elevated walkways, of skyscrapers and spaceports. But now we are more likely to see the grim, endless expanses of mass-produced housing on the edges of the booming Chinese cities, or the self-built shacks of the informal settlements tumbling down hillsides adjacent to some of the world’s most desirable property."

"Yet something keeps people coming," he says. "The worst abuses of corruption and slum landlords, of homelessness and joblessness, are not enough to send people back to the country. It is rarely remarked on, but once rural dwellers make up their minds to come to the city, no matter how tough life is without the support networks of the village, they almost never return. City life seduces." Or perhaps they don't have any other choice.

"If the migration is inevitable, the question is: how can we create more equitable cities? How can we alleviate the worst of the problems facing the new 2bn and the countless others who are already there?"

Thursday, June 13, 2013 in The Financial Times

View form second story inside Southdale Mall in Edina, Minnesota with escalators and model cars parked on downstairs floor.

The Mall Is Dead — Long Live the Mall

The American shopping mall may be closer to its original vision than ever.

March 21, 2024 - Governing

Houston, Texas skyline.

Report: Las Vegas, Houston Top List of Least Affordable Cities

The report assesses the availability of affordable rental units for low-income households.

March 22, 2024 - Urban Edge

White three-story brick single-room occupancy hotel in downtown Los Angeles, California.

‘Micro-Apartment’ Trend Underscores Housing Crisis

SROs are making a comeback under a new name as the housing supply remains strained and costs soar.

March 22, 2024 - Associated Press via Yahoo News

Red public transit bus in Bangalore, India.

Indian States Give Women Free Bus Passes

The programs are part of an initiative aimed at helping more women join the workforce and improving access to basic needs.

41 seconds ago - Next City

Downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota skylinw with stone arched brige in foreground.

Study: How to Revitalize Downtown Minneapolis

A proposal calls for a reevaluation of the city’s skyways, a focus on street-facing businesses, and an improved public realm.

1 hour ago - Minneapolis Post

Aerial view of Milwaukee, Wisconsin skyline with freeway interchanges in foreground at night.

Milwaukee Residents Challenge Freeway Expansion

Residents are voicing opposition to a planned expansion of Interstate 94, arguing that the project would eliminate the limited green space in the neighborhood.

2 hours ago - Spectrum News 1

News from HUD User

HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

Call for Speakers

Mpact Transit + Community

New Updates on PD&R Edge

HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.