2-day conference
Are cities more important than countries?
15:00 Wednesday 08 October 2008
Organized by: Steven Brakman, University of Groningen and Charles van Marrewijk, IHS-Erasmus University Rotterdam
According to the United Nations Population Fund[1]: “In 2008, the world reaches an invisible but momentous milestone: For the first time in history, more than half its human population, 3.3 billion people, will be living in urban areas.” Along with the rising urbanization, the value of production is increasingly located in cities and the majority of wealth is created there. City mayors are making direct deals with multinational firms on location decisions and investment opportunities. People use the amenities of their direct urban surroundings, created and maintained by city authorities. This raises the question if the city in which you are living is becoming more important for your welfare than the country in which you are living.
[1] UNFPA (2007), State of world population 2007: unleashing the potential of urban growth
Further information regarding the conference will be posted on this website in due time. Questions may be addressed to:
Charles van Marrewijk
IHS-Erasmus University Rotterdam
e-mail: vanmarrewijk@ihs.nl
