megacities, followed by the mid-latitude arid region, and it is expected that the
sub-Saharan Africa region will catch up in future.
When megacities function as the capitals and economic hubs of nation states, one
problem lies in the relationship between cities and states. In the post-Cold War
period, capitalism became the dominant economic model. Some have even referred
to this as a period of “mammonism.” The disparities in wealth have grown more and
more. On the other hand, democracy has not yet prevailed globally, despite Western
idealism. Despite hopes that a democratic regime would be brought to Arab countries, the low-income residents of Cairo have worse living conditions after the 2010
Arab Spring protests. City managers and management organizations function poorly
between state and city. Moreover, they lack vision and standards. For example, in
Cairo, new capital is promoted, and existing inferior dwelling environments are
disregarded. Moreover, the citizens lack political will to tackle the problems of their
city. A standard system for running megacities has not yet emerged at this point in
the early twenty-first century.
After positioning the megacities in urban history, it is evident that
metropolitanization is regarded negatively in upper Eurasia and North America
and Oceania. However, the global city, which offers the opportunity to break free
of the framework of modern nation states, is one of the gifts of metropolitanization.
To ensure global sustainability, our task should be to identify the benefits associated
with the accumulation of urban population, taking into account the features of each
era, region, and locality.
References
Ahmed, S. U. (1986). Dacca; A study in urban history and development. Dhaka: Curzon Press.
Bairoch, P. (1988). The population of European cities from 800 to 1850. Geneva: Université de
Genève.
Bairoch, P., Batou, J., & Chèvre, P. (1989). La Population des Villes Européennes, 800–1850:
Banque de données et analyse sommaire des résultats. (The population of European cities,
800–1850: Database and summary analysis of the results). Geneva: Droz.
Bietak, M. (1979). Urban archaeology and the “town problem”. In K. R. Weeks (Ed.), Egyptology
and the social sciences (pp. 97–144). Five Studies: Cairo.
Buringh, E. (2010). Medieval manuscript production in the Latin West. Leiden: Brill.
Chandler, T. (1987). Four thousand years of urban growth: An historical census. Lewiston, NY:
The Edwin Mellen Press.
Childe, V. G. (1950). The urban revolution. The Town Planning Review, 21(1), 3–17.
Connolly, P., & Dodge, H. (1998). The ancient city: Life in classical Athens and Rome. Oxford:
Oxford University Press.
de Vries, J. (1984). European urbanization 1500–1800. London: Methuen.
Downey, G. (1960). Constantinople in the age of Justinian. Norman, OK: University of Oklahoma
Press.
Fletcher, R. (1995). The limits of settlement growth: A theoretical outline. Cambridge, NY:
Cambridge University Press.
Fukami, N. (2002). Isfahan. In H. Jinnai & Y. Arai (Eds.), Urban space in Islamic world
(pp. 496–538). Tokyo: Hosei University Press. (written in Japanese).
5 Regional Diversity and Sustainability of Megacities in Global Historical. . .
99
sub-Saharan Africa region will catch up in future.
When megacities function as the capitals and economic hubs of nation states, one
problem lies in the relationship between cities and states. In the post-Cold War
period, capitalism became the dominant economic model. Some have even referred
to this as a period of “mammonism.” The disparities in wealth have grown more and
more. On the other hand, democracy has not yet prevailed globally, despite Western
idealism. Despite hopes that a democratic regime would be brought to Arab countries, the low-income residents of Cairo have worse living conditions after the 2010
Arab Spring protests. City managers and management organizations function poorly
between state and city. Moreover, they lack vision and standards. For example, in
Cairo, new capital is promoted, and existing inferior dwelling environments are
disregarded. Moreover, the citizens lack political will to tackle the problems of their
city. A standard system for running megacities has not yet emerged at this point in
the early twenty-first century.
After positioning the megacities in urban history, it is evident that
metropolitanization is regarded negatively in upper Eurasia and North America
and Oceania. However, the global city, which offers the opportunity to break free
of the framework of modern nation states, is one of the gifts of metropolitanization.
To ensure global sustainability, our task should be to identify the benefits associated
with the accumulation of urban population, taking into account the features of each
era, region, and locality.
References
Ahmed, S. U. (1986). Dacca; A study in urban history and development. Dhaka: Curzon Press.
Bairoch, P. (1988). The population of European cities from 800 to 1850. Geneva: Université de
Genève.
Bairoch, P., Batou, J., & Chèvre, P. (1989). La Population des Villes Européennes, 800–1850:
Banque de données et analyse sommaire des résultats. (The population of European cities,
800–1850: Database and summary analysis of the results). Geneva: Droz.
Bietak, M. (1979). Urban archaeology and the “town problem”. In K. R. Weeks (Ed.), Egyptology
and the social sciences (pp. 97–144). Five Studies: Cairo.
Buringh, E. (2010). Medieval manuscript production in the Latin West. Leiden: Brill.
Chandler, T. (1987). Four thousand years of urban growth: An historical census. Lewiston, NY:
The Edwin Mellen Press.
Childe, V. G. (1950). The urban revolution. The Town Planning Review, 21(1), 3–17.
Connolly, P., & Dodge, H. (1998). The ancient city: Life in classical Athens and Rome. Oxford:
Oxford University Press.
de Vries, J. (1984). European urbanization 1500–1800. London: Methuen.
Downey, G. (1960). Constantinople in the age of Justinian. Norman, OK: University of Oklahoma
Press.
Fletcher, R. (1995). The limits of settlement growth: A theoretical outline. Cambridge, NY:
Cambridge University Press.
Fukami, N. (2002). Isfahan. In H. Jinnai & Y. Arai (Eds.), Urban space in Islamic world
(pp. 496–538). Tokyo: Hosei University Press. (written in Japanese).
5 Regional Diversity and Sustainability of Megacities in Global Historical. . .
99