Rapid urbanization, especially in Africa, was a threat to sustainable development and could not coexist with high population growth.

Shanghai was a very intriguing city it's exploding on a level that I don't think any city has experienced.

In Asia, the rate of urbanization had been less rapid because of agricultural sector development.

Their growth has been concentrated in the countryside, although since the 1980s the urban grass roots women apos s movement has been growing rapidly.

UN Habitat was therefore to be commended for its Sustainable Cities Programme and for the Global Urban Observatory.

In 2004, the second State of the World's Cities report on multicultural cities was published, highlighting the cultural dimension of cities at a time of rapid urbanization.

It's breathtaking, in terms of the speed at which this city is transforming.

You have Cities are where most of the wealth is created, and particularly in the developing world, it's where women find opportunities. That's a lot of the reason why cities are growing very quickly.

Cities are vital to the economic and social development of countries, yet the rapid expansion of many cities, especially in developing countries, has not been accompanied by investment in infrastructure and the environment, nor in the provision of services and supports for the increasing populations of urban poor.

And what we would see here as a suburban development a similar thing, but they're all high rises.

Urbanization was so rapid that cities could not fully absorb the new pool of labour, thus giving rise to the phenomenon of urban poverty.

And the reason why is that we live on a planet that is rapidly urbanizing.

We reaffirm the commitment to implement the Habitat Agenda and the Cities without Slums initiative to assist developing countries in coping with rapid urbanization and associated migration within and between countries.

Urban growth in developing countries is proceeding at an unprecedented rate.

For the UK's fastest growing city after London, this is good news.

(e) Mega cities and urban development.

Mega cities and urban development

Due to accelerating industrialization and urbanization, agricultural land is shrinking.

As the level of urbanization in China continues to increase, the urban population has increased rapidly, and a large number of rural young people have left their hometowns to start urban life.

The strategy of the Government on regional and urban development focuses on the preparation of urban development plans, human resources development, the establishment of an Urban Regional Development Joint Commission and Technical Committees, and the creation of the Financial System for Urban Development.

Knowledge for Urban Development

The Urban Challenge in Africa Growth and Management of its Large Cities

During the crisis, these urban dwellers multiplied far more rapidly than in rural areas.

The rate of increase in unemployment in recent years was much higher in rural than in urban areas.

The consequences of rapid urbanization, combined with poor urban governance, weak economic growth and HIV AIDS, have reached crisis proportions in cities and urban areas of much of the developing world, especially in Africa.

The National Urban Development Programme focuses on four operational areas the One Hundred Cities Programme, aiming at strengthening the capacity of cities to receive investments and promote development the programme for the consolidation of metropolitan areas the promotion of regional planning and the strengthening of the legal framework for urban development as well as the programme for the promotion of social and private sector participation in urban development.

The developing world now has all of the biggest cities, and they are developing three times faster than the developed countries, and nine times bigger.

Cities and Sustainable Development

Municipal funds to support sustainable urban development could be established.

The rapid growth of urban areas in all regions of the world, increasing disparities of income and living conditions and the high proportion of children and young people living in conditions of poverty in those urban areas all present major challenges.

(b) Development of green spaces in urban areas area of city parks .

(b) It is difficult for local governments to develop effective, local urban energy and transportation management in the context of rapid development and large scale investments (in developing countries in particular and all regions generally)

In contrast, and because of its high level of urbanization, Latin America apos s urban population will grow by only about 1.5 per cent a year for the rest of the century.

Thus, there is a need to take into consideration the rapid growth of the urban population in terms of national economy and social policies and, in particular, to prevent that it causes serious social and political problems in the urban zones.

11. With rapid urbanization, many cities are also facing water scarcity.

UN Habitat noted that it has concluded a fast track follow up investment of its Water for Asian Cities programme with the Asian Development Bank as a follow up to the World Conference on Sustainable Development.

Within rapidly expanding cities in developing countries, the demand for land exceeded supply.

Through the Cities Alliance Programme the environmental component will be strengthened in city development activities and urban poverty reduction strategy papers.

And we're going to do it again in the next 25 years.

The challenge instead is to plan, develop and manage cities in the interest of those who live there.

Cities were the centre of attention for all policies. Sustainable development in cities was the basic challenge of the Millennium Development Goals.

And now, out of typically 46 cities, 33 of those mega cities are in the developing world.

It will also help to strengthen the city's economy.

Property Rights and Sustainable Urban Development

And that shores up our economy, makes it stable.