what is a city

WHAT IS A CITY?

There is no single definition of an urban area in the world. In reference to descriptions used in my country I would say that a city is a historically shaped settlement unit characterized by large buildings and a small amount of agricultural land. A City is made up of a cluster of people, as opposed to villages, characterized by a densely built-up and diverse social structure, which mainly partake in non-agricultural activities - trade, craft, businesses and services. The basic reason for establishing and developing cities was the natural tendency to create social organizations that would increase the efficiency of human work. In various historical periods, economic formations, geographical regions and cities differed in function, size and form. Cities are a natural living environment for the modern human being. A City is a place of development of civilization and culture, offering its residents various places of contact and meeting.

What shapes the city today on a "human scale" are factors directly affecting human psychology, a sense of aesthetics, security and comfort. For me, a city is made up of neat and friendly public spaces, quarterly buildings , well-kept landscape (compact buildings, parking lots that are found underground or behind buildings, calm traffic zones), developed infrastructure (for pedestrians, cyclists, public transport), a large amount of greenery (parks, squares, street plantings) and sustainable energy (using ecological resources).

Urban processes that have taken place over the past 50 years, as a result of the rapid increase in the global population, show that the 21st century will be the age of cities. According to predicted estimates, in 2050 there will be 63 billion city inhabitants in the world.

Natalia Wolarek