Global Changes and Implications for Cities

Abstract

This chapter looks at the background to planning cities in the face of global urban changes, with resulting pressures on cities and neighborhoods. Firstly, the influence of world population growth on cities is assessed, including population movements across countries. The chapter introduces nine futurists (from 1800s to 2017) and their views on cities and responses to global changes (i.e. impacts on urban areas). Introducing the United States, its population growth and immigration trends from 1900 to 2017 (and projections to 2050) are examined. The chapter then moves to examining New York and its evolution as a global city. The city’s history of settlement (including neighborhood development) and Greater New York Metropolitan Area planning are then reviewed. The chapter concludes noting that planning of New York City and Sustainable City Principles (SCPs) will be examined in Chap.  2.