Urbanization: trends, impacts, and contemporary challenges

Urban Area

Globalization has created a profound impact on society. Through globalization, emerging markets continue to grow and develop. New and innovative products are created that provide solutions to societal problems. As such, wealth is created that is distributed to nations that provide services to humanity. As wealth is distributed, urban areas are created and cultivated. These cities, over time, become populated with the new inhabitants, and continue to thrive. The development of cities and urban areas correlates directly with economic growth and development. With an economic system that continues to innovate, produce product and provide jobs, urban areas cannot be properly developed. The documentary, Urbanized is a testament to the merits of a market economy and how the city of the future may be fundamentally different from the city of today (Kolb, 1972).

To begin Urbanized provides enlightening insights into which the colonies or social formations, in which we arrange, support our daily activities. Cities are a mixture of deliberate design, accident, history, geography, and countless small collective decisions by the citizens that impose themselves. The documentary provides an example in which pedestrians in a park will walk, logically where they think a path should be, irrespective of a path actually being placed in that position or not. The documentary further argues that the most disastrous city planning decisions have been marred by the grandiosity of the planners. The film provides the example of Brasilia, which is arguable one of the worst areas to live, however, had the most extensive planning (Taylor, 2007).

Interesting enough is the extensive amount of collaboration needed to form a city or urban area. In many instances, as the documentary illustrates, one individual is rarely responsible for the planning of a city. Instead, multiple stakeholders are used to provide cohesion and consensus regarding overall planning decisions. The documentary mentions Venice as an example of an urban area that did not succumb to the grandiose nature of planning. As the documentary indicates, Venice grew up island by island, structure by structure, in a shallow lagoon, with no coherent planning at all. Now many consider Venice one of the world's foremost urban areas.

An interesting concept presented in the documentary was the notion that a city develops organically, through the complex interplay of economics, biology and countless local, individual decisions. However, planning on the part of architects, engineers and politicians also plays a major role in the development of an urban area. Economic circumstances are vital to urban development. For one, economic development provides both the incentive and financial resources by which an urban area can grow. As indicated by the documentary, a variety of stakeholders are generally consulted in regards to the development of an urban. These stakeholders can include city officials, politicians, the general public, stockholders, municipalities, and more. Due to massive amount of collaboration needed, economic conditions must be ripe for development. Infrastructure, contrary to popular belief, is not free. Debt is often raised to finance the expansion and development of urban areas. Without a thriving economic environment investors and stakeholders alike can not contribute to the growth of urban areas. Therefore, in order for the convoluted interplay of stakeholders to exist, a thriving and robust economic system must be in place (Wheeler, 2004). For a sense of how economic consideration correlate to urban development, the documentary examines Mumbai. Mumbai is a city of 12 million people that, if it continues on its current growth trajectory, will be the world's largest city by 2050. Due primarily to economic circumstances, the documentary indicates that already, 60% of Mumbai's population lives in slums with such poor sanitation that there is only one toilet seat for every 600 people! Ironically, as the documentary illustrates, the municipality is reluctant to build toilets for fear that it will encourage more migrants to come. One of the most memorable retorts in the documentary comes from Sheela Patel who exclaims "As if people come to shit!"

Economic influences are very influential in regards to economic development. However, it is ultimately people who provide the means to develop an urban. As such, one of the most profound notions of the film pertained primarily to individual's contribution to the overall development of an urban area. If there is a new orthodoxy in urban design, it is citizen participation. The bottom up approach utilizes a multitude of resources to accomplish a common goal. The documentary itself depicts several cases of community engagement, from an energy measurement scheme in Brighton to a new pedestrian area in the South African township of Khayelitsha. In both instances, society benefited immensely from the collaboration of its citizen in regards to the planning process. Use of the citizenry is beneficial as it first encourages support and over "buy in." With support of the general public, overall policy implementation is smoother and more effective. Further, it encourages two way communication on the part of leaders and the general public. This is particularly important as feedback can be seamlessly provided that ultimately is to the benefit to all stakeholders involved. Feedback allows for communication that can alleviate problems, enhance efficiency, and encourage innovation. It also makes the overall process smoother as more individuals are involved and engaged in the process. As such, the documentary allocates a portion of its times to a Chilean architect Alejandro Aravena. Arayena, as the documentary depicts was instrumental in provided a means for societal and community involvement. Aryena created a system of half-houses that residents complete themselves. This concept is often cited as a paragon of "participatory design" by many pundits in the industry.