According to a United Nations report, more than half of the world's population resides in cities - and, if current trends continue, that number will likely increase to 66 percent by 2050. ( http://www.un.org/en/development/desa/news/population/world-urbanization-prospects-2014.html) For many urban areas, this growth will strain existing infrastructure, housing, transportation, and energy resources, potentially resulting in a wider inequality gap between the rich and poor.
While most of the word's megacities are, and will likely continue to be, outside the United States, this rapid urbanization still affects us. Despite growth, many cities are facing increasing economic inequality, aging infrastructure and housing stock, and environmental degradation including poor air quality, water shortages, and exposure to toxins, affecting the quality of life for all residents. As cities continue to grow and adapt, how can urban planners, policy makers, and practitioners alike work to achieve social and environmental equity through sound city planning?
Malo A. Hutson, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Urban Planning; Founder and Director of the Urban Community and Health Equity Lab at the Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation (GSAPP), Columbia University
Roland V. Anglin, Ph.D.
Dean, Maxine Goodman Levine College of Urban Affairs, Cleveland State University
