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Megacities and the Urban Future
How cities of 10 million+ people are reinventing civilisation
By 2050, two-thirds of all humans will live in cities. The megacity — a metropolitan area exceeding 10 million people — is becoming the dominant unit of civilisation. Are they solutions or problems?
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There are now 43 megacities globally, from Tokyo (37 million) to Lagos (15 million) to São Paulo (22 million). They generate disproportionate economic output — the 300 largest cities produce 60% of global GDP — but also concentrate poverty, pollution, and inequality. The megacity is simultaneously humanity's greatest achievement and greatest challenge.
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Question 1 of 1What does Saskia Sassen's concept of 'global city' primarily describe?