ABSTRACT
By 2010 over 50% of the world population will be living in cities (UNPD 2003). Urbanisation and the effects of urbanism present a growing challenge to governments, institutions and communities. Complex economic, social, environmental and cultural issues face virtually every city and are often becoming more intractable as urban populations increase. The availability of affordable food, potable water, housing, education and health services, environmental degradation, unemployment, rising crime rates and the erosion of cultural and social identity are a sample of the issues typifying the failure of existing frameworks to deal effectively with the process of population migration to and concentration within cities.
