The Lincoln Institute of Land Policy recently launched a report titled, “Making Room for Planet of Cities,” that takes a close look at urban land cover and the concentration of the world’s population in cities, supported by Cities Alliance and the World Bank. The projection is that the world’s urban population will double in 43 years, while urban land cover will double in only 19 years. The research suggests that the sustainable growth of cities in rapidly urbanizing countries should be grounded in four key components:
- Realistic projections of urban land needs
- Generous metropolitan limits
- Selective protection of open spaces
- Arterial grids of roads spaced one kilometer apart that can support transit
The research for the report included a great degree of spatial analysis, including:
- Sampling satellite imagery of 120 cities with 100,000 people or more in 1990 and 2000
- Historic population density data in digital images for 20 U. S. cities, 1910–2000, based on census tracts
- Built-up areas of a representative global sample of 30 cities, 1800–2000, from the set of 120 cities based on historic maps
- Urban land cover areas of 3,646 cities that had populations of 100,000 or more in 2000, based on satellite images
The preparations for the massive urban growth expected in the coming decades will require active planning with ongoing spatial analysis, geodesign and sound policy directions. New tools and approaches will be required most urgently in the developing world where the urban population is expected to double between 2000 and 2030 while the built area of these cities can be expected to triple.
Download the full report here.
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