Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
Thus, an analysis of the general trend in settling the planetary population carried
out by Grigoryev and Kondratyev (2004) has shown that on the whole, the number
of cities-millionaires is growing, but the rate of the growth differs in different
regions. The global characteristics of the present population dynamics in the cities
are as follows:
1. On the whole, at present the urbanization is characteristic of all countries in the
world. Cities are growing in number, the percentage of the urban population
increases. However, the rate of urbanization is slowing down.
2. The cities-millionaires are growing in number. But in the countries with a high
level of development the growth of population in the cities-millionaires is at a
minimum. At present it is slowing down, and in many cities it stopped alto-
gether. In developing, poor countries the growth of population in the cities-
millionaires is slow but to a lesser extent.
3. The characteristic feature of the development of urbanization now and in future
is the formation of cities with population above 5 and even 10 millions, which
are called mega-cities. It is especially interesting to study these cities, since they
exhibit features of the future process of urbanization, and, as a matter of fact, the
features of the future of humankind. They concentrate a multitude of positive
aspects from the viewpoint of humans
'
activity. At the same time, in such cities
every negative aspect of the phenomenon discussed clearly shows itself, espe-
cially in the countries with developing economy.
The 21st century is an epoch of the transition of the planetary population to new
living conditions within the globalization of many processes. Of course, the elements
of globalization of various kinds of humans
activity have been observed before,
even many centuries ago, due to trade, navigation, and military expansions. How-
ever, its present features have greatly changed. Globalization of any phenomena has
accelerated and is covering larger areas. The range of phenomena incorporated in
planetary processes has drastically broadened. The main thing is that not only chains
of events have appeared and propagated on a global scale. The whole world and
various kinds of human activity
'
—
economy, politics, science, technology, engi-
neering
have turned out to be involved in the process of globalization. Moreover,
the whole world has turned out to be not simply in globalization chains, but in a web
of chains of events which are propagating across the globe.
Cities, especially large ones, have become the key point of the process of
globalization. Globalization in cities is accompanied by many positive phenomena.
Among them are, for instance, prompt information on possible acts of terrorism,
approaching tropical cyclones, which can threaten the human life, information on
global propagation of dangerous infectious diseases, information about new med-
icines, and many others. Negative aspects of globalization are also known, which
vividly and painfully manifest themselves in the cities. Among them are: propa-
gation of drugs, epidemics, criminality, etc. Ecological problems in the cities also
contain negative components. These are pollution of the atmosphere and hydro-
sphere, high risk of propagation of epidemics resulting from destructions after
earthquakes, hurricanes, and
—
fl
oods.
Search WWH ::
Custom Search