Title: Growth of the world's megalopolises.

POPLINE Document Number: 128050

Author(s):

Chen NY
Heligman L

Source citation:

In: Mega-city growth and the future, edited by Roland J. Fuchs, Ellen Brennan, Joseph Chamie, Fu-chen Lo, and Juha I. Uitto. Tokyo, Japan, United Nations University Press, 1994. :17-31.

Abstract:

The UN Population Division studies consider an urban agglomeration to be an area with a population concentration which usually includes a central city and surrounding urbanized localities, demarcated without respect to administrative boundaries. A megalopolis refers to an agglomeration which has reached 8 million in population. Changes are noted in the number and regional distribution of cities of 8 million or more, and their past and projected trends of population growth during 1950-90. New York, Tokyo, Los Angeles, Paris, Mexico City, Sao Paulo, Buenos Aires, Shanghai, Beijing, Moscow, Osaka, Rio de Janeiro, Calcutta, Bombay, Jakarta, Delhi, Tianjin, Seoul, Manila, and Cairo are megalopolises. Dating from 1950, New York and London were megalopolises, but London lost that status in 1980 after having shrank to an estimated size of only 7.7 million. Dacca, Karachi, Bangkok, Istanbul, Teheran, Bangalore, Lagos, and Lima are projected to have populations of at least 8 million by 2000. The trend of population growth in these urban centers as projected by the UN is described. The estimated and projected city sizes presented are taken from the 1990 Revision of the UN Population Division's estimates and projections of urban and rural populations and urban agglomerations.

Keywords:

Global
Urbanization
Urban Population
Urban Population Distribution
Population Distribution
Geographic Factors
Population
Population Characteristics
Demographic Factors