Current Magazine

EDITOR’S NOTE
2017
Tokyo
38.8 M
New York City
23.6 M
Shanghai
24.1 M
Seoul
25.5 M
Mexico City
22.2 M
Karachi
24.3 M
Delhi
21.8 M
Manila
24.2 M
Top Ten Megacities
Mumbai
23.6 M
Jakarta
31.5 M
Megacity Population
% Urban Population by Country
< 25%
25% -50%
50% -75%
> 75%
Source: United Nations
For the first time in history, more people around the globe
live in cities than in rural areas, and that number is climbing
at an unprecedented rate. By 2050, UNICEF estimates
that 70% of the population will live in cities. The biggest
shifts are happening in Africa and Asia.
While the pace of urbanization varies by continent, the
quest for a better life is the universal driver behind urban
migration. Whether it’s climate change, politics, poverty or
war that people are fleeing, they go to the cities seeking the
same things; economic mobility, education and access to
modern amenities. However, life in cities can be unpredictable
and these things often prove elusive.
Cities are struggling to accommodate their growing
populations on many levels. Developing cities often lack
the infrastructure, resources and economic opportunities to
accommodate everyone. Developed cities are experiencing
an influx of wealth that creates an inequality gap.
In issue one, we will explore the specific drivers for urban
migration and how they play out in people’s lives. Our
feature stories traverse the world. First we find an indigenous
community in Louisiana, whose way of life literally being
washed away by climate change, a sign of things to come.
Next we move east to China. We follow rural farmers as they
experience China’s government mandated mass urbaniza-
10 CURRENT FALL 2017