Supercities: Problems of Urban Growth

Archive Report

Increase in Urbanization

Urban Agglomerations in Developing World

A Massive earthquake rocked Mexico City Sept. 19, causing more than 9,500 deaths and damaging some 3,000 buildings. The tremor left an estimated 50,000 Mexicans homeless and about that many without jobs. It also focused attention on Mexico City's enormous population and renewed calls for ways to stop the city's meteoric growth. Mexico City, which had 3.1 million inhabitants in 1950, now has the largest population—more than 18 million—of any city in the world.

Mexico City is by no means the developing world's only supercity. In 1985, 13 of the 20 most populous cities are in Third World countries; by 2000, 17 of the 20 biggest cities will be in developing countries.1 Thirty-four urban areas around the globe each ...

locked icon

Sign in to access this content

Get a 30 day FREE TRIAL

  • Watch videos from a variety of sources bringing classroom topics to life
  • Read modern, diverse business cases
  • Explore hundreds of books and reference titles