A city is a conglomeration of people and buildings clustered together to serve as a center of politics, culture and economics.
Urbanization is happening globally -> global population is predominantly urban (near central city/suburbs). 4 out of 5 people in many developed nations live in cities/towns. In China/India, it is 4 out of 10.
Urbanization happens fast, such as in Shenzhen, where the population went from 20k to 3.1M in just 30 years after China establish an SEZ there.
Hearths of Urbanization
Before cities, there were agricultural villages in small egalitarian societies with permanent populations, such as those in the Indus River Valley and Mesoamerica.
Agricultural surplus and social stratification -> formation of cities. The creation of a leadership class/urban elite -> religion and philsophy -> writing. The growth of cities in this process is the first urban revolution, which occured in the 5 hearths.
5 Hearths
Mesopotamia
- Ur and Babylon
- Tigris and Eurphrates
- theocracy
- Study of morphology -> lifestyles
- priest/kings had high support cuz palaces
- no sewers -> no hygience
Nile River Valley
- power concentrated in people controlling Nile irrigation
- reflected by no walls or cities