Reports / Reports

Century of the City

One in every ten people lived in urban areas a century ago. Now, for the first time ever, most people live in cities. By 2050, the United Nations projects, almost three-quarters of the world’s population will call urban areas home. The majority of this growth is centered in struggling, developing countries of the Global South, but cities in developed (or Global North) countries face increasingly complex challenges as well.

Around the world, unplanned urban expansion is multiplying slums, overburdening housing, transportation and infrastructure systems, stifling economic growth, and leaving millions vulnerable to new environmental and health threats.

To help manage and plan for this accelerating urbanization, the Rockefeller Foundation convened an exceptional group of urbanists–leading policy makers and government officials, finance experts, urban researchers, members of civil society organizations, and other innovators–for a Global Urban Summit at the Rockefeller Foundation Bellagio Center. This book shares their diverse perspectives, creative approaches, and urgent agenda for harnessing the vast opportunities of urbanization for a better world.


Planetizen Names Century of the City One of Ten Best Planning Books of 2009

“This book is an impassioned call for action. Vibrant with images and littered with sidebars, Century of the City is magazine-readable but book-intelligent. It’s the result of a month-long colloquy hosted by the Rockefeller Foundation to identify and strategize on the challenges faced by rapidly urbanizing 21st century cities. The focus is on taking multidisciplinary approaches to the issues faced by cities, from the underserved slums of India to the most bustling economic powerhouses of the new China. Readers will come away convinced that even the most inefficient cities are incredibly important to the livelihood of both local citizens and global citizens, and that making them better is truly an international imperative.”

For the Planetizen announcement, visit http://planetizen.com/books/2009


Read chapters from text-only version:

FOREWORD BY JUDITH RODIN

A CALL FOR LEADERSHIP IN AN URBAN WORLD BY DARREN WALKER

Chapter 1

VAST CHALLENGES, STARTLING OPPORTUNITIES

Chapter 2

WATER, SANITATION, AND SHELTER: A FRESH LOOK AT FINANCE

Chapter 3

CLIMATE CHANGE RESILIENCE: AN URGENT ACTION AGENDA

Chapter 4

URBAN HEALTH: LEARNING FROM SYSTEMS THAT WORK

Chapter 5

DESIGNING THE INCLUSIVE CITY

Chapter 6

AMERICA 2050: U.S. STRATEGY FOR THE NEXT HALF CENTURY

Chapter 7

U.S. TRANSPORTATION CHALLENGE: BETTER OUTCOMES FOR BILLIONS SPENT

Chapter 8

U.S. METROS: BUILDING BLOCKS OF AMERICAN PROSPERITY?

Chapter 9

BUILDING EVIDENCE TO SUSTAIN AN URBAN FUTURE

Chapter 10

NEW FRONTIERS FOR A GLOBAL URBAN COMMONS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

PARTICIPANTS