Urban Growth and the Environment

Abstract

Cities are rapidly becoming the most common place of human habitation, and are growing particularly fast in the developing world. They create massive environmental problems for human health, the climate, global ecology and long term viability. Yet they also have amazing potential for reducing humanities environmental impact while also meeting human needs. Right now, cities draw together many of Earth’s major environmental problems: population growth, pollution, resource degradation and waste generation. Paradoxically, cities also hold our best chance for a sustainable future.