The world's population is becoming increasingly urban and three quarters of the urban population growth is occurring in developing countries.

Economic growth has also resulted in rising levels of urbanization.

But in an urbanizing world, where poverty was also urbanizing, most slum dwellers were excluded from the so called good city life .

As to the urban environment, it is affected by the adverse consequences of demographic growth and the growing impoverishment of the population.

The least urbanized continent, Africa, is due to experience the highest urban growth rate.

37. The migration and urbanization processess of the past 20 years have been characterized by a higher rate of growth of medium sized cities as compared with metropolitan Lima.

Urban migration was often the only chance of a better life, but growing urban poverty was a cause for concern.

The study concludes that the main factors contributing to this increase in demand will be urbanization and motorization which are linked urban phenomena.

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

36. The growth of the urban population has not occurred as a result of the industrialization process.

The Chair of the first session of the World Urban Forum, Ms. Sankie D. Mthembi Mahanyele, former Minister of Housing of South Africa, said that the presence of over 4,000 delegates was a clear indication of the importance they accorded to the Second World Urban Forum and to the developing countries, as well as the critical nature and importance of growing urbanization.

Another consequence of the revitalization of the city has been the increasing numbers of tourists to the city, who tax local resources and threaten local culture.

Increasing urbanization

Secondly, population growth and density into cities.

Over time, urbanization was unavoidable as cities remained the centre of economic growth and attracted people searching for better living conditions.

K. Resolution 15 11 Sustainable human settlements in an urbanizing

In view of a growing trend in this area, we are observing rapid growth in the urban informal sector and an increase in the incidence of hazardous employment and crime.

A growing concern

7 Hinrichsen, D., Blackburn, R. and Robey, B., Population growth and urbanization cities at the forefront (Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health, 2001).

The number of cities covered was expanded to 17 in 1988, and to 23 in 1994

In future, subjects such as urbanization, education, economic growth and population spread should be studied.

In his opening statement Mr. Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Governor of Lagos, Nigeria, stressed that, in megacities like Lagos, environmental degradation was a major constraint inhibiting urban development and economic growth.

Growth in number of member cities, 1992 1995

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.

To further strengthen the programme, the African Ministerial Conference on Housing and Urban Development, held in Durban, South Africa, from 31 January to 4 February 2005, agreed on an enhanced framework of implementation for overcoming the challenges of shelter and urbanization.

Speakers also noted that the theme of the second session of the World Urban Forum emphasized cities as the crossroads of cultures and that, despite some outstanding examples of cultural pluralism in cities, there was still no agreement on how to approach the fundamental issues of multiethnic and multicultural societies in an increasingly globalizing and urbanizing world.

Informal activities, such as selling products in markets, in the towns and cities, proliferate.

But today, finally, after economic reforms, and economic growth, I think the notion that cities are engines of economic growth, cities are engines of creativity, cities are engines of innovation, have finally been accepted.

Urban cultures Urban realities Urban governance Urban renaissance.

In other words, urban areas were the engines of economic growth.

Growing Up In Cities (GUIC)

An Urbanizing World Global Report on Human Settlements note by the secretariat (HS C 16 INF.5) for information

These developments fragment the global economy as new growth poles arise organized around large urban centres which are interconnected and share the same technologies, work, language and cultural interests.

Considering the increasing need to innovate in agriculture and food production to adapt, inter alia, to climate change, urbanization and globalization,

As most of the returnees settle in urban areas, there has been an estimated 6 per cent annual growth rate in the urban population.

(c) Average expenditure has risen rapidly in both rural and urban areas.

10. Undeveloped infrastructure of rural regions is forcing people to migrate into increasingly congested urban areas in search of opportunities the world apos s urban population is growing by 170,000 each day.

Lei Sakov, the brigade captain of Moscow city police said that in recent years, Moscow's urban environment and tourism ambience have become better and better, attracting more and more foreign tourists.

Urban planning had to focus on the urban poor because ignoring the increase in poverty amounted to violence against the people.

Cities around the world were characterized by increased poverty and exclusion.

And out of those, nine tenths of the human growth population is occurring in cities.

It was further pointed out that cultural diversity was increasing in cities all over the world and that inclusion and integration had become important issues at the policy, project and community levels.

Sister Valsa Joseph reiterated that in India economic growth and development had reached only the cities and the literate masses.

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.

Urbanization