ABSTRACT
Urban geoscience is assuming an ever increasing importance. Unfortunately there is a tendency to spurn the potential of scientific solutions to the present problems of escalating urbanisation and to rather concentrate on sociological problems. The International Working Group on Urban Geology (sponsored by COGEOENVIRONMENT, a commission of IUGS, IAH and IAEG) has recently prepared and had published a multiauthor definitive volume treating the subject in a broad manner. This contribution to the Symposium B4 on Urban Geology at the 30th IGC in Beijing expresses the philosophy behind this volume. The topic has been treated from a realistic viewpoint, acknowledging the equal importance of resource aspects and environmental constraints. Some consideration has been given to the reasons for the increasing incidence of urban geohazards: among them are the increasing size of urban developments and conurbations, the extension of urban development onto unsuitable ground, the lack of urban planning with early input of geoscience data and evaluation, the decay of old cities and towns and the too rapid and uncontrolled growth of new cities and towns. Much of the increase is real, though it may in part be an artifact of increased public and media awareness. The global effects on the environment of urbanisation are briefly considered and the global escalation of population.
