The expansion of urban land consumption outpaces population growth by as much as 50%, which is expected to add 1.2 million km² of new urban built-up area to the world by 2030.

Once a city is built, its physical form and land use patterns can be locked in for generations, leading to unsustainable sprawl.

Rising conflicts contribute to pressure on cities as more than 50% of forcibly displaced people live in urban areas. However, the speed and scale of urbanization brings challenges, such as meeting accelerated demand for affordable housing, viable infrastructure including transport systems, basic services, and jobs, particularly for the nearly 1 billion urban poor who live in informal settlements to be near opportunities. With more than 80% of global GDP generated in cities, urbanization can contribute to sustainable growth through increased productivity and innovation if managed well. This trend is expected to continue, with the urban population more than doubling its current size by 2050, at which point nearly 7 of 10 people will live in cities. Today, some 56% of the world’s population – 4.4 billion inhabitants – live in cities.

In global city regions: