Urban Geography

Abstract

The world is becoming increasingly urbanized. In 2007, an urban milestone was reached when the percentage of people living in cities around the world exceeded 50 percent for the first time in history. By 2050, two-thirds of the world’s population is projected to be living in urban areas. To put these figures into historical perspective, in 1950 less than one-third of the world’s population was urbanized. Urban geography can help us understand urbanization trends and their expression in urban spatial structure and to relate these to our own lives and concerns. The study of urban geography can help us have a better appreciation of the economics of what goes on within cities and recognize the interdependencies among local, national, and international economic contexts in an increasingly globalized world. It can provide us with a framework for conceptualizing urbanism in conjunction with an appreciation of history and the relationships between society and culture. It can illuminate the interplay of science and technology with social, economic, and political change; reveal important dimensions related to race, ethnicity, gender, and sexuality; identify important issues concerning social inequality, urban segregation, and gentrification; raise concerns about urban environmental quality; and point to important lessons for urban governance and policy. Most of all, of course, the study of urban geography can help us analyze and interpret the communities and landscapes of cities and metropolitan areas for a better understanding of the people who live in urban areas around the world. As such, urban geography is arguably one of the most important subdisciplines within geography, and especially within human geography.