Rethinking Urbanization in the 21st Century

In this lecture on new theories and methods in urbanization studies, Dr. Karen Seto highlights the changing character of contemporary cities and their connectivity to other places. She first focuses on historical theorists and practitioners who worked to understand and design cities, and notes that there was a shared conception of cities as distinct spaces separated from rural areas. She notes that current urbanization trends are more varied and heterogeneous than this historical model, and she links this diversity to questions about sustainability in cities. She poses the question of if and when cities contribute to or hinder global sustainability, and presents examples of different types of urban planning and policy that leads to different impacts and outcomes. She highlights as well the need for new thinking about the spatial configuration of urban and rural spaces, and suggests that moving from a dichotomous understanding to one based on a spectrum better captures current land use and land change trends.  She concludes with the proposition that we need new theories about urbanization and its social and environmental impacts, especially in the context of global emphasis on human wellbeing through efforts like the Sustainable Development Goals.