Press Release

Engaging Cities of the World in the Battle for Life on Earth

Montreal 25 June 2008. The growth of the urban world represents one of the most dramatic changes experienced by humanity in recent history. For the first time in history, the world’s urban population is now greater than that of rural areas, having reached 3.2 billion people. It has increased nearly fourfold since 1950. Every year, more than 50 million people, the equivalent of the populations of Spain and Portugal combined, are added to the population of the world’s cities. It is predicted that, in 2030, four out of five of the world’s urban dwellers will live in developing countries. Cities occupy 2 per cent of the planet’s surface, but their residents use 75 per cent of the Earth’s natural resources.

Publication Date
2008-06-25