Already, 75 percent of the world's 21 mega-cities are based in the developing world, and by some estimates, 27 of the 33 mega-cities expected to exist by 2015 will be in developing countries.
With metropolitan cities of over 10 million people - so called "mega-cities" - on the increase, addressing prevention, response and reconstruction of the effects of natural risks was necessary, delegates said.
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As mega-cities become a reality and space becomes a premium, runways could be shortened to minimise land use.
The Urban Age Institute forecasts 27 "mega-cities"--those with 10 million or more people--by 2015.
And then it has its huge advantage that it's located between these mega growth cities of Atlanta and Charlotte.
Rather, she says, this is an experimental strategy for commuting in mega-cities.
The challenge of the day is - can the mega-cities of the world emerge with the qualities we seek in the smaller, vital cities of the past?
Some scholars worry about social breakdown in poor mega-cities.
The problem is expected to be more acute in sprawling so-called mega-cities in poor countries, which have more difficulty informing people about how to prevent heat stroke and where infrastructure is lacking.
According to UN Habitat, the mega-cities of the future, (those with more than 10 million residents) will be "giant potential flood and disaster traps" if insufficient action is taken on behalf of their residents.
The key question then is how to humanize such mega-cities, the theme of the upcoming New Cities Foundation summit that Sao Paulo is hosting in June. (Full disclosure: I serve on the NCF board of trustees.) The reinvention of Sao Paulo will begin right at its center with projects such as the URBEM Foundation's Casa Paulista.
Local viewership on the regional sports networks in those four cities increased by over 30% and the mega-market in Los Angeles experienced 67% growth.
Of course as cities get larger and larger, the challenge of dealing with mega-scale, overcoming its dehumanising effects and avoiding over-building becomes a central occupation.
Super cities are on the rise in Asia as China announced plans to construct a mega-city the size of Switzerland and SOM unveiled a masterplan for a cutting-edge green tech city for Hanoi.
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NRG, a power plant developer who has invested in some of the largest solar power projects in the country, decided to give SCS a try as it sought to expand its focus to include not just mega solar farms in remote locations but also smaller projects on commercial properties close to or within cities.
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While New York features the second highest percentage of mega commuters, it also has the highest average commute time in the U.S. Other cities with extreme commutes include Los Angeles, Calif.
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