3.1. Expanding Cities

♤ Most megacities and large cities are located in the global South. Four of India’s cities with 5 to 10 million inhabitants presently are projected to become megacities in the coming years (Ahmadabad, Bangalore, Chennai and Hyderabad), for a total of seven megacities projected in the country by 2030.

♤ Tokyo is the world’s largest city with an agglomeration of 38 million inhabitants, followed by Delhi with 25 million.

♤ Several decades ago most of the world’s largest urban agglomerations were found in the more developed regions, but today’s large cities are concentrated in the global South.

♤ Some cities have experienced population decline in recent years. Most of these are located in the low-fertility countries of Asia and Europe where the overall population is stagnant or declining. Economic contraction and natural disasters have contributed to population losses in some cities as well.