The history of urbanisation

Gosh, what’s with all these people? Is the whole city on my bus? Ouch! My foot! Feeling a bit… cramped, Jenny?

You’re not alone! Today, more than half of the world’s population lives in cities. But 10,000 years ago, there were no cities at all. So how did these cities come to be? And why?

To find the answer, we need to go back 5,000 years, to when the earliest cities begin. Most are along waterways, such as the city of Ur, which emerges next to the Euphrates River in Asia. Water enables merchants from around the world to dock and sell their goods. This trade creates wealth for many people. These trading centres gradually become rich and powerful cities, supporting politicians, artisans, merchants, and religious activity.

This is urban culture. When cities begin and grow, we call it urbanisation. In the Mediterranean and Western Europe, many large port cities - such as Venice and London - begin as Roman Empire military camps. The Romans are known for their military conquests, but they also build grand cities. The capital of the Roman Empire, Rome, has theatres, temples, bathhouses, and main streets.

There is even a plumbing system that has hot and cold running water! By the year 100, Rome becomes the first city in history to have more than one million residents. As time goes by, global trade increases. More people get work making and selling goods. Many of these people move to port and river settlements where they can sell and trade.

As the settlements grow, they turn into cities. For thousands of years, new cities are born as a result of trade and military camps. In the 19th century, Industrialisation starts. This means that lots of factories are being built quickly. These factories start in urban areas that already have high populations so that there are plenty of people to work in them.

Meanwhile, large numbers of former farmers start moving to these cities to find jobs. There are more new arrivals than there are houses. The city centre is already very crowded! This leads to housing shortages, a problem that affects many cities even today. In cramped quarters, disease and crime spread.

This, combined with factory pollution, makes the 19th century inner city an unpleasant place to live. Around this time, wealthy people realize that the countryside is much cleaner and quieter. They begin to build homes on the outskirts of urban areas. These are called suburbs. In the late 19th century, improved roads and new modes of transportation, such as trains and trolleys, mean that cities can expand even further.

As the suburbs grow and cars become more affordable, living within walking distance to work is no longer necessary. This new transportation causes air pollution and noise. It also means that just as easily as people can move into the city, industries can now move and do business in the more populated suburbs. Today, living in the inner city has become popular once again. Many people want to be in the centre of a lively downtown, where they can walk to restaurants and shops.

People gravitate towards cities in search of opportunities. It’s been this way for 5,000 years, and the process of urbanisation still goes on. Many cities in the world are growing every day. And that might be bad news for our crowded bus! Next time, I’m walking!

Good luck, Jenny.