The challenge and opportunity of the urban century

This week we sought to establish a common understanding of what cities are, the role they play in shaping our lives, and how they are understood and governed by their citizenry and leadership. The authors we read stressed the importance of cities as loci of power, where economic growth is created, important decisions are made, and where the implementation of federal and provincial policies happens to the greatest extent (“where the rubber meets the road”). It is apparent that much of the vital changes that are to occur in the realms of social justice, climate change, and wealth inequality must be interpreted through an urban lens, where the unit of a “city” is not considered subordinate to regional or federal authorities, whether in Canada or abroad.

Defining a city proved to be more difficult than I had imagined, as the Canadian government uses a variety of metrics to establish census areas as “urban” or “city,” with density rates (400 people per square km) and municipal authorities can represent a group on one hand, but be subordinated into larger “census metropolitan areas” for other purposes. It is clear that cities ought not merely be considered as clearly defined areas under municipal administration, as their economic and cultural tendrils often extend far beyond said boundaries, creating a set of “mega-regions” that may not be a single city, but rather the agglomeration of several contiguous ones into a supercity. This principle raises the question of how to ensure that decisions affecting the welfare and prosperity of urban people are not limited to strictly-demarcated municipal boundaries and that sub-national communities’ needs are considered by policymakers at all levels.

The most important principle for future policymakers to adhere to must be a commitment to ensuring a high quality of life for all inhabitants of cities within Canada and abroad. The continued urbanization of humanity represents both an opportunity and challenge; just as city life can be a panacea for the ills of today from prejudice to deprivation, so too can it heighten inequality and social isolation. We must build communities that are inclusive, and create the opportunity for a life worth living, or condemn vast swathes of us to Durkheim’s anomie, where our differences and dislocations prove too powerful to overcome. Indeed, agoraphobia — the pathological fear of open spaces — derives from the ancient Greek agora, the civic centres of Hellenic city-states. The skyrocketing global rates of anxiety disorders have been linked to increased urbanization, and a wealth of research has shown the profound impact our built and psychosocial environments can have on our mental health. Strong urban policy can help us mitigate the worst ills of our day, and ensure that we encourage agoraphilia, where love for public life and civic connection ushers in a new era of diversity prosperity.

Oliver Gruebner, Michael A. Rapp, Mazda Adli, Ulrike Kluge, Sandro Galea, Andreas Heinz

Dtsch Arztebl Int. 2017 Feb; 114(8): 121–127. Published online 2017 Feb 24. doi: 10.3238/arztebl.2017.0121

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