Abstract
Coming to terms with the complexity of dense urban areas represents one of the major challenges people, organizations and governments will face in the next few decades. Defining, explaining and modeling socio-cultural factors associated with the development of dense urban regions will be among the most complex problems researchers will face when studying dense urban areas. In this paper, we seek to open the discussion and begin to define the modeling process by conducting a literature review and creating a conceptual framework based on Verba, Binder, Coleman, La Palombara, Pye, & Weiner’s (1971) model of political development. The model emphasizes six key elements of political development, which we use as a point of departure to begin to identify key socio-cultural factors of dense urban areas. Our framework also embarks on identifying a difference between factor relationships in loosely and tightly integrated cities. The interrelationship between variables and the recursive nature of variables are some of the major difficulties we identify when it comes to modeling sociocultural dynamics in dense urban areas.
Highlights
The world is becoming increasingly more urban
As more and more of the world’s population moves to dense urban areas, these spaces will serve as centers of gravity in the future
In addition to the density and mass volume of populations in dense urban areas, the greatest complexity of operating in a dense urban space is the vast number of socio-cultural factors that influence the development and functioning of cities
Summary
The world is becoming increasingly more urban. Today, more than fifty percent of the world’s population lives in urban centers. With the majority of people living in urban centers, along with cities being the focal point for political, cultural and economic development, urban centers will become more important than ever. This new emphasis on urban centers represents a significant challenge for various socio-cultural actors, from all perspectives. Dense urban areas are highly connected both internally and to the rest of the world All of this complexity creates a daunting set of research. We identify the six key networks that influence the development and functioning of dense urban areas from the socio-cultural perspective. While other networks are important to understanding cities, we focus on the socio-cultural factors due to their complexity. In order to effectively function in an urban environment, one must begin to understand the impact of their actions upon these six networks in a city
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