Population of Urban Agglomerations with 300,000 or more in 2018), when the
number and size of megacities began to increase (following the example of
New York in the pre-1950 period), the process began with two cities located in
Japan, in the monsoon Asia region, i.e., Tokyo in the 1950s and Osaka in the 1960s.
In the next stage, the megacity formation accelerated in Latin America, with three
cities becoming megacities: Mexico City in 1975, Sao Paulo in 1980, and Buenos
Aires in 1985. After 1995, cities in monsoon Asia and the mid-latitude arid regions
were the major cities to qualify as megacities.
It might be considered that increases not only in the numbers of megacities but
also in their size arise synergistically when two features are combined: first, the
low-density, vast city that originated in monsoon Asia and second, the planned city
that originated in modern Western Europe and the USA. In Latin America, cities of
over 1 million inhabitants did not exist in 1900 (Table 5.1). However, after 1950, the
population began to concentrate in the primary cities in each country in Latin
America, as industrialization progressed after WWII in these cities, as discussed
later. The mid-latitude arid region’s slow start in forming megacities may have been
caused by its tradition of agglomerated high-density compact cities, in which there
was a clear distinction between residences and agricultural fields, making it difficult
for urban sprawl to occur.
5.3.5 Urban Areas
To analyze urban areas, it is useful to examine more closely the 316 cities with
1 million and above inhabitants based on the LandScan data (LandScan 2007)
(Table 5.1), which shows the number of cities for the three population ranges and
the six regions discussed in this chapter. The key differences in terms of the numbers
of cities of 1 million and above inhabitants (Table 5.3) are summarized as follows.
The reason for the small number of cities and the small total population of the North
America and Oceania and upper Eurasia regions is that they underwent a process by
which their populations accumulated in urban centers, and these centers expanded
until 1950, when the speed of accumulation slowed and began to stabilize. On the
other hand, the reason for the large number of total cities and the large total
population in monsoon Asia and the mid-latitude arid regions is that they inherited
their urban traditions from the early ancient era, resulting in the formation of many
agglomerations, or in other words urban cores, such as agricultural villages in
monsoon Asia, and small-walled towns in the mid-latitude arid region. In contrast,
the urban cores were sparser in Latin America and the sub-Saharan Africa region.
The features of the urban areas for cities with 1 million and more inhabitants in
each region are shown in Table 5.3, in terms of urban area (km
2 ) and densities,
expressed as percentages of each region. Examining the seven urban area ranges for
each region, the cities with urban areas of over 3000 km
2 , Tokyo and Jakarta, both in
monsoon Asia, stand out. Next largest is Los Angeles in North America, which has
an urban area of over 2000 km
2 . These three cities with vast urban areas are well
86
N. Fukami
number and size of megacities began to increase (following the example of
New York in the pre-1950 period), the process began with two cities located in
Japan, in the monsoon Asia region, i.e., Tokyo in the 1950s and Osaka in the 1960s.
In the next stage, the megacity formation accelerated in Latin America, with three
cities becoming megacities: Mexico City in 1975, Sao Paulo in 1980, and Buenos
Aires in 1985. After 1995, cities in monsoon Asia and the mid-latitude arid regions
were the major cities to qualify as megacities.
It might be considered that increases not only in the numbers of megacities but
also in their size arise synergistically when two features are combined: first, the
low-density, vast city that originated in monsoon Asia and second, the planned city
that originated in modern Western Europe and the USA. In Latin America, cities of
over 1 million inhabitants did not exist in 1900 (Table 5.1). However, after 1950, the
population began to concentrate in the primary cities in each country in Latin
America, as industrialization progressed after WWII in these cities, as discussed
later. The mid-latitude arid region’s slow start in forming megacities may have been
caused by its tradition of agglomerated high-density compact cities, in which there
was a clear distinction between residences and agricultural fields, making it difficult
for urban sprawl to occur.
5.3.5 Urban Areas
To analyze urban areas, it is useful to examine more closely the 316 cities with
1 million and above inhabitants based on the LandScan data (LandScan 2007)
(Table 5.1), which shows the number of cities for the three population ranges and
the six regions discussed in this chapter. The key differences in terms of the numbers
of cities of 1 million and above inhabitants (Table 5.3) are summarized as follows.
The reason for the small number of cities and the small total population of the North
America and Oceania and upper Eurasia regions is that they underwent a process by
which their populations accumulated in urban centers, and these centers expanded
until 1950, when the speed of accumulation slowed and began to stabilize. On the
other hand, the reason for the large number of total cities and the large total
population in monsoon Asia and the mid-latitude arid regions is that they inherited
their urban traditions from the early ancient era, resulting in the formation of many
agglomerations, or in other words urban cores, such as agricultural villages in
monsoon Asia, and small-walled towns in the mid-latitude arid region. In contrast,
the urban cores were sparser in Latin America and the sub-Saharan Africa region.
The features of the urban areas for cities with 1 million and more inhabitants in
each region are shown in Table 5.3, in terms of urban area (km
2 ) and densities,
expressed as percentages of each region. Examining the seven urban area ranges for
each region, the cities with urban areas of over 3000 km
2 , Tokyo and Jakarta, both in
monsoon Asia, stand out. Next largest is Los Angeles in North America, which has
an urban area of over 2000 km
2 . These three cities with vast urban areas are well
86
N. Fukami