The World's Cities: Mapping Urban Growth in Developing Countries

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August 26 2009, 12:00 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.

Event Summary

Dr. Mark Montgomery, Senior Associate, Population Council

Dr. Karen Seto, Associate Professor, Yale University School of Forestry and Environmental Studies

The United Nations estimates that an additional 3 billion urban dwellers will be added to the world’s population by 2050. Most of this growth will occur in small- and medium-sized cities. Which cities will grow and which will contract is unclear. Dr. Karen Seto will discuss changes in urban land-use patterns and identify both the gaps and opportunities for future research on urban land use.

Dr. Mark Montgomery will focus on the demographic data and research methods needed to understand the rapidly urbanizing developing world, notably Africa and Asia. He will discuss the newest efforts to merge several important but underused sources of information, including spatially coded data and surveys on urban fertility, child mortality, migration, and age structure.