ABSTRACT
Cities are amongst the oldest and most enduring forms of governance, and urbanization is one of the key defining global trends of the 21st century. On this ‘planet of cities’ (Angel et al., 2011) over half the world’s population is already urban (UN-Habitat, 2013), and it is anticipated that up to two-thirds will live in urban areas by 2050 (UNDESA/Population Division, 2011). This is the most rapid period of urbanization in the world’s history, and as a result it is projected that annual urban infrastructure investments will rise from current figures of 10 trillion USD to more than 20 trillion USD globally by 2025, with cities in the Global South being the focus of this investment (Dobbs et al., 2012). According to urbanist Richard Florida, “We will spend more and build more in the next century than we have in all of human history before this …” (Biello, 2013, p.1). The urban share of global investments and earnings will grow concomitantly during this period and reinforce the urban dominance of the global economy. Already, only 600 cities produce 60 percent of global GDP (McKinsey Global Institute, 2011).
