Shlomo Angel
Adjunct Professor of Urban Planning


DatePublication/Paper
2012

Angel, Shlomo 2012. Planet of Cities. Lincoln Institute of Land Policy.
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Abstract

Nearly 4,000 cities on our planet today have populations of 100,000 people or more. We know their names, locations, and approximate populations from maps and other data sources, but there is little comparable knowledge about all these cities, and none that can be described as rigorously scientific. Planet of Cities together with its companion volume, Atlas of Urban Expansion, contributes to developing a science of cities based on studying all these cities together—not in the abstract, but with a view to preparing them for their coming expansion.

The book puts into question the main tenets of the familiar Containment Paradigm, also known as smart growth, urban growth management, or compact city, that is designed to contain boundless urban expansion, typically decried as sprawl. It examines this paradigm in a broader global perspective and shows it to be deficient and practically useless in addressing the central questions now facing expanding cities outside the United States and Europe.

In its place Shlomo Angel proposes to revive an alternative Making Room Paradigm that seeks to come to terms with the expected expansion of cities, particularly in the rapidly urbanizing countries in Asia and Africa, and to make the minimally necessary preparations for such expansion instead of seeking to contain it.

Angel, Shlomo, Jason Parent, Daniel L. Civco, and Alejandro M. Blei 2012. Atlas of Urban Expansion. Lincoln Institute of Land Policy.
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Abstract

At a time when the world’s cities are bursting with massive increases in population, the Atlas of Urban Expansion is a comprehensive guide to the past and future characteristics of metropolitan growth. In 2010 more than half of the world’s total population lived in cities, and this share is expected to increase to 70 percent or more by 2050. The world’s urban population is expected to increase from 3.5 billion in 2010 to 6.2 billion in 2050, and almost all of this growth is expected to take place in less-developed countries. Cities in developed countries will add only 160 million people to their populations during this period, while Cities in developing countries will need to absorb 15 times that number, or close to 2.6 billion people, thereby doubling their total urban population of 2.6 billion in 2010. Given the expected decline in urban densities, these cities are likely to more than triple their developed land areas by 2050.

Increased global awareness is needed to better understand and plan for this massive expansion of cities in developing countries, Angel says. Local and national governments, civic institutions, international organizations, and concerned citizens must make minimum adequate preparations. For example, it is vital that cities acquire the rights-of-way for arterial roads that can carry public transport and trunk infrastructure and protect selected open spaces from encroachment in advance of the coming expansion.

The main objective of this Atlas of Urban Expansion is to increase understanding and help residents, policy makers, and researchers around the world come to terms with the expected global urban expansion in the coming decades. The call to action is urgent, as the urbanization process now underway will be largely completed by the end of the 21st century. “Most people who desire to live in urban areas will already be in them by 2100, but by that time it will be too late to act,” Angel says. “If the land required for public works or public open spaces is not protected from encroachment before it is developed, it will be next to impossible to ensure the orderly development of cities to make them more efficient, more equitable, and more sustainable.”

The Atlas in book form introduces the project and presents two sets of full-color maps and a set of raw data tables. The first map section contains pairs of urban land cover maps from circa 1990 and 2000, representing a global sample of 120 cities. The second map section includes composite maps of a global representative sample of 30 cities, showing the historical expansion of their urbanized areas from 1800 to 2000. In both sections, the maps shown are paired with numerical and graphical data, making it possible to compare cities in terms of their metric values on key attributes of urban expansion. The third section contains four extensive tables of urban, national, and regional data for each of the 120 cities.

2011

Angel, Shlomo. 2011. Deciphering Sprawl: A Global and Historical Perspective. Lincoln Institute of Land Policy.

2004

Angel, S. 2004. Housing Policy in Uruguay. Report to the Inter-American Development Bank and the Government of Uruguay, Washington, D.C., March.

Angel, S. 2004. The Tale of the Scale: An Odyssey of Invention. Oxford University press, January.

2002

Angel, S. 2002. An Indicator-Based Monitoring Framework for IDB-Supported Housing Projects. prepared under contract for the Inter-American Development Bank, December.

Angel, S. 2002. Housing Policy in Honduras: Diagnosis and Guidelines for Action. report to the Inter-American Development Bank and the Government of Honduras, Washington, D.C., July.

Angel, S. 2002. The Urban Growth Management Initiative: Making Minimal Preparations for the Expected Doubling the Size of Cities in the Developing Countries in the Next Thirty Years. research proposal submitted to the World Bank Research Committee, September.

2001

Angel, S. 2001. Housing Policy in Argentina: Diagnosis and Guidelines for Action. report to the Inter-American Development Bank and the Government of Argentina, Washington, D.C., July.

Angel, S. 2001. The Housing Policy Assessment and Its Application to Panama. Journal of Housing Economics Vol. 10, pp. 176–209.

2000

Angel, S. 2000. A National Settlement Program for Trinidad and Tobago: The Key to Housing Policy Reform. report to the Inter-American Development Bank and the Government of Trinidad and Tobago, Washington, D.C., November.

Angel, S. 2000. Housing Policies and Programs in Guatemala: Diagnosis, Evaluation and Guidelines for Action. Report to the Inter-American Development Bank and the Government of Guatemala, Washington, D.C., September.

Angel, S. 2000. Housing Policy and Housing Programs in Panama: Diagnosis and Guidelines for Action. Report to the Inter-American Development Bank and the Government of the Dominican Republic, Washington, D.C., December.

Angel, S. 2000. Housing Policy in Ecuador: Diagnosis, Priorities and Proposed Programs. Report to the Inter-American Development Bank and the Government of Ecuador, Washington, D.C., May.

Angel, S. 2000. Housing Policy Matters: A Global Analysis. Oxford University Press.

1999

Angel, S. 1999. Housing Policy in Venezuela: Diagnosis and Guidelines for Action. report to the Inter-American Development Bank, Washington, D.C., October.

Angel, S. 1999. Proposed Course on Land Use Instruments. draft report submitted to the Economic Development Institute, The World Bank, Washington, D.C., March.

1998

Angel, S. 1998. A Housing Policy and Institutional Development Program for Nicaragua. report to the Inter-American Development Bank, Washington, D.C., December.











Contact Details

solly.angel@gmail.com
(212) 925-9055
Office Hours: By appointment only
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Areas of Expertise

  • Cities
  • Housing & Community Development
  • International Development
  • Urban Planning