Urban area

Short description: Human settlement with high population density and infrastructure of built environment

Greater Tokyo in Japan , the world's most populated urban area, with about 40 million inhabitants as of 2022

Greater São Paulo at night, as seen from the International Space Station

Greater Melbourne at night, as seen from the International Space Station

Warsaw metropolitan area

An urban area, built-up area or urban agglomeration is a human settlement with a high population density and an infrastructure of built environment. This is the core of a metropolitan statistical area in the United States, if it contains a population of more than 50,000.[1]

Urban areas originate through urbanization, and researchers categorize them as cities, towns, conurbations or suburbs. In urbanism, the term "urban area" contrasts to rural areas such as villages and hamlets; in urban sociology or urban anthropology it contrasts with natural environment.[citation needed]

The development of earlier predecessors of modern urban areas during the urban revolution of the 4th millennium BCE[2] led to the formation of human civilization and ultimately to modern urban planning, which along with other human activities such as exploitation of natural resources has led to a human impact on the environment.

## Contents

* 1 Historical growth
* 2 Urbanization
* 3 Largest urban areas
* 4 Very highly urbanized countries
* 5 Definitions
* 6 By region
* 6.1 East Asia
* 6.1.1 China
* 6.1.2 Japan
* 6.1.3 South Korea
* 6.2 South Asia
* 6.2.1 India
* 6.2.2 Pakistan
* 6.2.3 Bangladesh
* 6.3 Southeast Asia
* 6.3.1 Philippines
* 6.3.2 Singapore
* 6.3.3 Vietnam
* 6.3.4 Thailand
* 6.4 Europe
* 6.4.1 Finland
* 6.4.2 France
* 6.4.3 Germany
* 6.4.4 Netherlands
* 6.4.5 Norway
* 6.4.6 Poland
* 6.4.7 Russia
* 6.4.8 Spain
* 6.4.9 Sweden
* 6.4.10 United Kingdom
* 6.5 Oceania
* 6.5.1 Australia
* 6.5.2 New Zealand
* 6.6 North America
* 6.6.1 Canada
* 6.6.2 Mexico
* 6.6.3 United States
* 6.7 South America
* 6.7.1 Argentina
* 6.7.2 Brazil
* 6.7.3 Chile
* 7 See also
* 8 References
* 9 External links

## Historical growth

In 1950, around the world, 764 million people lived in urban areas. By 2014, it was 3.9 billion. The change was driven by a combination of increased total population and increased percent of population living in urban areas.[3] In 2009, the number of people living in urban areas (3.42 billion) surpassed the number living in rural areas (3.41 billion), and since then the world has become more urban than rural.[4] This was the first time that the majority of the world's population lived in a city.[5] In 2014 there were 7.3 billion people living on the planet,[6] of which the global urban population comprised 3.9 billion. The Population Division of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs at that time predicted the urban population would occupy 68% of the world population by 2050, with 90% of that growth coming from Africa and Asia.[7]

## Urbanization

Main page: Earth:Urbanization

Urban land area (km2), 2010[8]

Urban areas with at least one million inhabitants in 2006

Urban areas are created and further developed by the process of urbanization. They are measured for various purposes, including analyzing population density and urban sprawl. Urban areas are also mostly found in the United States , Canada , Brazil , Mexico, Argentina , Chile , Japan and Australia and many other countries where the urbanization rate is over 80%.[citation needed]

Unlike an urban area, a metropolitan area includes not only the urban area, but also satellite cities plus intervening rural land that is socio-economically connected to the urban core city, typically by employment ties through commuting, with the urban core city being the primary labor market.

The concept of an "urban area" as used in economic statistics should not be confused with the concept of the "urban area" used in road safety statistics. This term was first created by Geographer Brian Manning. The last concept is also known as "built-up area in road safety". According to the definition by the Office for National Statistics, "Built-up areas are defined as land which is 'irreversibly urban in character', meaning that they are characteristic of a town or city. They include areas of built-up land with a minimum of 20 hectares (200,000 m2; 49 acres). Any areas [separated by] less than 200 metres [of non-urban space] are linked to become a single built-up area.[9]

Argentina and Japan are countries where the urbanization rate is over 90% while Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Mexico and the United States are countries where the urbanization rate is between 80% and 90%.[citation needed]

## Largest urban areas

There are two measures of the degree of urbanization of a population. The first, urban population, describes the percentage of the total population living in urban areas, as defined by the country. The second measure, rate of urbanization, describes the projected average rate of change of the size of the urban population over the given period of time. According to Urbanization by sovereign state article, the world as a whole is 56.2% urbanized, with roughly one-quarter of the countries reported as greater than 80% urbanized. Data is taken from the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency World Factbook estimates from 2020.[10]

According to Demographia, these are the 200 largest urban areas in the world by population (as of 2023):[11]

| Urban Area  | Country  | Population

|
|
|

1  | Tokyo-Yokohama  | Japan | 37,785,000
2  | Jakarta | Indonesia  | 35,386,000
3  | Delhi | India | 31,190,000
4  | Guangzhou-Foshan  | China | 27,119,000
5  | Mumbai | India  | 25,189,000
6  | Manila | Philippines | 24,156,000
7  | Shanghai | China  | 24,042,000
8  | Seoul-Incheon  | South Korea | 23,225,000
9  | Cairo | Egypt | 22,679,000
10  | Mexico City | Mexico  | 21,905,000
11  | Kolkata | India  | 21,747,000
12  | São Paulo  | Brazil | 21,486,000
13  | New York City | United States | 21,396,000
14  | Karachi | Pakistan | 20,249,000
15  | Dhaka | Bangladesh  | 19,134,000
16  | Bangkok | Thailand  | 18,884,000
17  | Beijing | China  | 18,883,000
18  | Moscow | Russia | 17,878,000
19  | Shenzhen  | China  | 17,778,000
20  | Buenos Aires | Argentina | 15,748,000
21  | Los Angeles | United States  | 15,587,000
22  | Johannesburg-Pretoria | South Africa | 15,551,000
23  | Bangalore  | India  | 15,257,000
24  | Chengdu  | China  | 15,016,000
25  | Ho Chi Minh City  | Vietnam  | 14,953,000
26  | Osaka -Kobe-Kyoto | Japan  | 14,916,000
27  | Lagos | Nigeria  | 14,540,000
28  | Istanbul  | Turkey | 14,441,000
29  | Lahore  | Pakistan  | 13,504,000
30  | Kinshasa | Democratic Republic of the Congo  | 13,493,000
31  | Tehran | Iran | 13,382,000
32  | Chongqing | China  | 12,653,000
33  | Rio de Janeiro  | Brazil  | 12,306,000
34  | Xi'an  | China  | 12,211,000
35  | Chennai  | India  | 11,570,000
36  | Paris | France | 11,108,000
37  | Zhengzhou  | China  | 11,068,000
38  | Luanda | Angola  | 10,914,000
39  | London | United Kingdom | 10,803,000
40  | Dongguan  | China  | 10,753,000
41  | Lima | Peru  | 10,556,000
42  | Wuhan | China  | 10,353,000
43  | Bogota | Colombia  | 10,252,000
44  | Tianjin | China  | 10,047,000
45  | Hyderabad | India  | 9,797,000
46  | Taipei | Taiwan  | 9,662,000
47  | Hangzhou  | China  | 9,618,000
48  | Nagoya  | Japan  | 9,439,000
49  | Kuala Lumpur | Malaysia  | 9,387,000
50  | Chicago | United States  | 8,954,000
51  | Nanjing  | China  | 8,507,000
52  | Riyadh | Saudi Arabia  | 8,309,000
53  | Shenyang-Fushun  | China  | 8,044,000
54  | Ahmadabad  | India  | 8,006,000
55  | Dar es Salaam | Tanzania  | 7,965,000
56  | Washington-Baltimore  | United States  | 7,853,000
57  | Boston-Providence  | United States  | 7,429,000
58  | Onitsha  | Nigeria  | 7,205,000
59  | Bandung  | Indonesia  | 7,203,000
60  | Addis Ababa | Ethiopia  | 7,185,000
61  | Khartoum | Sudan  | 7,155,000
62  | Santiago | Chile | 7,099,000
63  | Dallas-Fort Worth  | United States  | 6,979,000
64  | Nairobi | Kenya  | 6,929,000
65  | San Francisco -San Jose  | United States  | 6,844,000
66  | Toronto  | Canada | 6,837,000
67  | Pune  | India  | 6,819,000
68  | Madrid | Spain | 6,798,000
69  | Essen-Düsseldorf | Germany | 6,769,000
70  | Quanzhou  | China  | 6,743,000
71  | Houston  | United States  | 6,703,000
72  | Baghdad | Iraq  | 6,624,000
73  | Surat  | India  | 6,601,000
74  | Amman | Jordan  | 6,563,000
75  | Surabaya  | Indonesia  | 6,556,000
76  | Hong Kong | Hong Kong | 6,468,000
77  | Yangon | Myanmar  | 6,426,000
78  | Hanoi | Vietnam  | 6,359,000
79  | Qingdao  | China  | 6,291,000
80  | Miami  | United States  | 6,139,000
81  | Suzhou  | China  | 6,091,000
82  | Singapore | Singapore | 5,926,000
83  | Philadelphia  | United States  | 5,795,000
84  | Accra | Ghana  | 5,785,000
85  | St. Petersburg  | Russia  | 5,750,000
86  | Atlanta  | United States  | 5,702,000
87  | Abidjan | Ivory Coast  | 5,678,000
88  | Kabul | Afghanistan  | 5,566,000
89  | Alexandria | Egypt  | 5,552,000
90  | Milan  | Italy  | 5,471,000
91  | Jiddah  | Saudi Arabia  | 5,408,000
92  | Ankara | Turkey  | 5,359,000
93  | Faisalabad  | Pakistan  | 5,356,000
94  | Barcelona | Spain  | 5,317,000
95  | Xiamen  | China  | 5,253,000
96  | Belo Horizonte  | Brazil  | 5,242,000
97  | Taiyuan  | China  | 5,067,000
98  | Changsha  | China  | 5,065,000
99  | Hefei  | China  | 5,052,000
100  | Mashhad | Iran  | 5,045,000
101  | Kunming  | China  | 4,995,000
102  | Rawalpindi-Islamabad | Pakistan  | 4,954,000
103  | Dubai  | United Arab Emirates | 4,945,000
104  | Sydney | Australia | 4,836,000
105  | Kumasi | Ghana  | 4,794,000
106  | Melbourne | Australia  | 4,709,000
107  | Kampala | Uganda  | 4,679,000
108  | Monterrey  | Mexico  | 4,674,000
109  | Kano  | Nigeria  | 4,670,000
110  | Lucknow  | India  | 4,661,000
111  | Yaounde | Cameroon  | 4,642,000
112  | Phoenix  | United States  | 4,617,000
113  | Cape Town | South Africa  | 4,595,000
114  | Ürümqi | China  | 4,548,000
115  | Wuxi  | China  | 4,524,000
116  | Casablanca | Morocco  | 4,499,000
117  | Fuzhou  | China  | 4,487,000
118  | Guadalajara  | Mexico  | 4,401,000
119  | Ningbo  | China  | 4,383,000
120  | Jaipur  | India  | 4,360,000
121  | Kanpur  | India  | 4,350,000
122  | Santo Domingo | Dominican Republic  | 4,345,000
123  | Berlin | Germany  | 4,286,000
124  | Guiyang  | China  | 4,269,000
125  | Detroit  | United States  | 4,258,000
126  | Nanchang  | China  | 4,240,000
127  | Mogadishu | Somalia  | 4,219,000
128  | Changzhou  | China  | 4,206,000
129  | Chittagong  | Bangladesh  | 4,204,000
130  | Dalian  | China  | 4,177,000
131  | Zhongshan  | China  | 4,113,000
132  | Kuwait | Kuwait  | 4,066,000
133  | Jinan  | China  | 4,057,000
134  | Medan  | Indonesia  | 4,027,000
135  | Wenzhou  | China  | 4,024,000
136  | Seattle  | United States  | 4,001,000
137  | Tashkent | Uzbekistan  | 3,935,000
138  | Shijiazhuang  | China  | 3,871,000
139  | Harbin  | China  | 3,869,000
140  | Recife  | Brazil  | 3,866,000
141  | Busan  | South Korea  | 3,843,000
142  | Bamako | Mali  | 3,783,000
143  | Indore  | India  | 3,765,000
144  | Douala | Cameroon  | 3,751,000
145  | Montreal | Canada  | 3,750,000
146  | Ibadan  | Nigeria  | 3,657,000
147  | Naples  | Italy  | 3,653,000
148  | Sana | Yemen  | 3,585,000
149  | Colombo | Sri Lanka  | 3,532,000
150  | Dakar | Senegal  | 3,510,000
151  | Porto Alegre  | Brazil  | 3,504,000
152  | Mbuji-Mayi  | Democratic Republic of the Congo  | 3,493,000
153  | Nagpur  | India  | 3,493,000
154  | Algiers | Algeria  | 3,462,000
155  | Durban  | South Africa  | 3,452,000
156  | Port Harcourt  | Nigeria  | 3,429,000
157  | Fortaleza  | Brazil  | 3,415,000
158  | Brasilia | Brazil  | 3,406,000
159  | Changchun  | China  | 3,387,000
160  | Salvador | Brazil  | 3,344,000
161  | Patna  | India  | 3,331,000
162  | Athens | Greece  | 3,309,000
163  | Nanning  | China  | 3,249,000
164  | Kathmandu | Nepal  | 3,247,000
165  | Medellin  | Colombia  | 3,242,000
166  | Rome | Italy  | 3,239,000
167  | Varanasi  | India  | 3,229,000
168  | Gujranwala  | Pakistan  | 3,218,000
169  | Tampa-St. Petersburg  | United States  | 3,203,000
170  | Lusaka | Zambia  | 3,202,000
171  | Guayaquil | Ecuador  | 3,183,000
172  | Ouagadougou | Burkina Faso  | 3,181,000
173  | Damascus | Syria | 3,155,000
174  | San Diego  | United States  | 3,078,000
175  | Orlando  | United States  | 3,075,000
176  | Kozhikode  | India  | 3,049,000
177  | Brisbane-Gold Coast  | Australia  | 3,039,000
178  | Rotterdam-Hague | Netherlands  | 3,027,000
179  | Tel Aviv | Israel | 3,006,000
180  | Baku | Azerbaijan | 3,002,000
181  | Kiyev | Ukraine | 3,001,000
182  | Ad-Dammam | Saudi Arabia  | 2,994,000
183  | Lanzhou  | China  | 2,977,000
184  | Charlotte  | United States  | 2,879,000
185  | Curitiba  | Brazil  | 2,873,000
186  | Cleveland  | United States  | 2,871,000
187  | Brazzaville | Republic of the Congo  | 2,860,000
188  | Aleppo  | Syria  | 2,859,000
189  | Thiruvananthapuram  | India  | 2,851,000
190  | Lisbon | Portugal  | 2,832,000
191  | Minneapolis-St. Paul  | United States  | 2,796,000
192  | Campinas  | Brazil  | 2,789,000
193  | Hyderabad  | Pakistan  | 2,789,000
194  | Multan  | Pakistan  | 2,783,000
195  | Conakry | Guinea  | 2,781,000
196  | Quito | Ecuador  | 2,778,000
197  | Zhangjiaggang  | China  | 2,770,000
198  | Guatemala City | Guatemala  | 2,765,000
199  | Lubumbashi  | Democratic Republic of the Congo  | 2,750,000
200  | Agra | India  | 2,737,000

## Very highly urbanized countries

This is a partial list of countries where the urbanization rate is at least 80%:

* Argentina
* Australia
* Brazil
* Canada
* Chile
* France
* Israel
* Japan
* South Korea
* Mexico
* Spain
* United Kingdom
* United States

Those with the rate at 100%:

* Kuwait
* Monaco, a European city state, principality located in France (a semi-enclave within the French Riviera)
* Nauru, an island country
* Singapore, an island country and city state
* Vatican City, a city state, and the smallest country, the papacy located within (enclave) Rome, Italy

## Definitions

> The UN publishes data on cities, urban areas and rural areas, but relies almost entirely on national definitions of these areas. The UN principles and recommendations state that due to different characteristics of urban and rural areas across the globe, a global definition is not possible.[12]

European countries[which?] define urbanized areas on the basis of urban-type land use, not allowing any gaps of typically more than 200 metres (220 yd), and use satellite imagery instead of census blocks to determine the boundaries of the urban area. In less-developed countries[which?], in addition to land use and density requirements, a requirement that a large majority of the population, typically 75%, is not engaged in agriculture and/or fishing is sometimes used.[citation needed]

## By region

### East Asia

#### China

Since 2000, China 's cities have expanded at an average rate of 10% annually. It is estimated that China's urban population will increase by 292 million people by 2050,[3] when its cities will house a combined population of over one billion.[13] The country's urbanization rate increased from 17.4% to 46.6% between 1978 and 2009.[14] Between 150 and 200 million migrant workers work part-time in the major cities, returning home to the countryside periodically with their earnings.[15][16]

China has more cities with one million or more long-term residents than any other country, including the three global cities of Beijing, Hong Kong, and Shanghai; by 2025, the country will be home to 221 cities with over a million inhabitants.[13] The figures in the table below are from the 2008 census, and are only estimates of the urban populations within administrative city limits; a different ranking exists when considering the total municipal populations (which includes suburban and rural populations). The large "floating populations" of migrant workers make conducting censuses in urban areas difficult;[17] the figures below include only long-term residents.

Panoramic view of Pudong's Skyline from the Bund in Shanghai.

#### Japan

In Japan , urbanized areas are defined as contiguous areas of densely inhabited districts (DIDs) using census enumeration districts as units with a density requirement of 4,000 inhabitants per square kilometre (10,000/sq mi).

#### South Korea

Seoul is the largest urban area in South Korea .

### South Asia

#### India

For the Census of India 2011, the definition of urban area is a place having a minimum population of 5,000 of density 400 persons per square kilometre (1,000/sq mi) or higher, and 75% plus of the male working population employed in non-agricultural activities. Places administered by a municipal corporation, cantonment board or notified town area committee are automatically considered urban areas.[18]

The Census of India 2011 also defined the term "urban agglomeration" as an integrated urban area consisting of a core town together with its "outgrowths" (contiguous suburbs).[19]

#### Pakistan

In Pakistan , an area is a major city and municipality if it has more than 100,000 inhabitants according to census results. Cities include adjacent cantonments. Urbanisation in Pakistan has increased since the time of independence and has several different causes. The majority of southern Pakistan's population lives along the Indus River. Karachi is its most populous city.[20] In the northern half of the country, most of the population lives in an arc formed by the cities of Lahore, Faisalabad, Rawalpindi, Islamabad, Gujranwala, Sialkot, Gujrat, Jhelum, Sargodha, Sheikhupura, Nowshera, Mardan and Peshawar. During 1990–2008, city dwellers made up 36% of Pakistan's population, making it the most urbanised nation in South Asia. Furthermore, 50% of Pakistanis live in towns of 5,000 people or more.[21] Karachi is the most populated city in Pakistan closely followed by Lahore according to the 2017 Census.

#### Bangladesh

In Bangladesh, there are total 532 urban areas, which are divided into three categories. Those are City Corporation, Municipal Corporation (Pourasova) and Upazila town. Among those urban areas, Dhaka is the largest city by population and area, with a population of 19.10 million.[22] In Bangladesh, there are total 11 City Corporations and 329 Municipal Corporations and 203 Small towns, which serves as the center for Upazilas. According to 2011 population census, Bangladesh has an urban population of 28%, with a growth rate of 2.8%.[23] At this growth rate, it is estimated that the urban population of Bangladesh will reach 79 million or 42% of total population by 2035.

### Southeast Asia

#### Philippines

In 2020, 54 percent of the Philippine population lived in urban areas.[24] With an estimated population of 16.3 million, Metro Manila is the most populous metropolitan area in the Philippines and the 11th in the world. However, the greater urban area is the 5th largest in the world with a population of 20,654,307 people (2010 estimate).[25]

#### Singapore

As an island city-state, about 5.6 million people live and work within 700 square kilometres (270 sq mi). With 64 islands and islets, Singapore Island makes up the largest urban area in the country. According to the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, the country has the highest urbanised population in Southeast Asia, with 100 percent of its population living in an urban area.[26] The Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) is responsible for the urban land-use planning, which designates land use and urban density of the country.[27] The country is divided into 5 regions for planning purposes by the URA, even though as a city state Singapore is defined as a single continuous urban area. It is further subdivided into 55 urban planning areas, which acts as the boundaries of planned towns within the country.[28]

#### Vietnam

In Vietnam, there are six types of urban areas:

* Special urban area (2 municipalities): Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.
* Type I urban area (18 provincial cities and 3 municipalities): Long Xuyên, Pleiku, Mỹ Tho, Thủ Dầu Một, Bắc Ninh, Biên Hòa, Hải Dương, Thanh Hóa, Hạ Long, Việt Trì, Thái Nguyên, Nam Định, Vũng Tàu, Buôn Ma Thuột, Đà Lạt, Quy Nhơn, Nha Trang, Huế, Vinh, Cần Thơ, Đà Nẵng and Hải Phòng.
* Type II urban area (21 provincial cities and 1 district):Châu Đốc, Đồng Hới, Uông Bí, Bắc Giang, Ninh Bình, Bạc Liêu, Bà Rịa, Thái Bình, Rạch Giá, Cà Mau, Phan Rang–Tháp Chàm, Tuy Hòa, Phan Thiết, Vĩnh Yên, Lào Cai and Phú Quốc.
* Type III urban area (31 provincial cities and 12 towns).
* Type IV urban area (35 towns and 35 townships).
* Type V urban area (586 townships and 54 communes).

#### Thailand

Bangkok is the largest urban area in Thailand.

### Europe

#### Finland

A street sign in Vimpeli indicating the beginning of an urban area in Finland

As in other Nordic countries, an urban area (taajama in Finnish) in Finland must have a building at least every 200 m (660 ft) and at least 200 people. To be considered a town or a city (kaupunki) for statistical purposes, an urban area must have at least 15,000 people. This is not to be confused with the city / town designation used by municipalities.[29][30]

#### France

In France , an urban area (Fr: aire d'attraction d'une ville) is a zone encompassing an area of built-up growth (called an "urban unit" (unité urbaine)[31] – close in definition to the North American urban area) and its commuter belt (couronne). Americans would find the INSEE definition of the urban area[32] to be similar to their metropolitan area.

The largest cities in France, in terms of urban area population (2017), are Paris (12,628,266), Lyon (2,323,221), Marseille (1,760,653), Toulouse (1,360,829), Bordeaux (1,247,977), Lille (1,191,117), Nice (1,006,201), Nantes (972,828), Strasbourg (790,087) and Rennes (733,320).[33]

Panorama of Paris as seen from the Eiffel Tower as full 360-degree view (river flowing from north-east to south-west, right to left)

#### Germany

Germany has a number of large cities. The largest conurbation is the Rhine-Ruhr region (11 million (As of 2008)), including Düsseldorf (the capital of North Rhine-Westphalia), Cologne, Bonn, Dortmund, Essen, Duisburg, and Bochum.[34]

#### Netherlands

The Netherlands is the 30th-most densely populated country in the world, with 404.6 inhabitants per square kilometre (1,048/sq mi)—or 497 inhabitants per square kilometre (1,287/sq mi) if only the land area is counted. The Randstad is the country's largest conurbation located in the west of the country and contains the four largest cities: Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague, and Utrecht. The Randstad has a population of 7 million inhabitants and is the 6th largest metropolitan area in Europe.

#### Norway

Norway defines urban areas ("tettsteder") similarly to the other Nordic countries. Unlike in Denmark and Sweden, the distance between each building has to be of less than 50 m, although exceptions are made due to parks, industrial areas, rivers, and similar. Groups of houses less than 400 m from the main body of an urban area are included in the urban area.[35]

#### Poland

In Poland , official "urban" population figures simply refer to those localities which have the status of towns (miasta). The "rural" population is that of all areas outside the boundaries of these towns. This distinction may give a misleading impression in some cases, since some localities with only village status may have acquired larger and denser populations than many many smaller towns[36] with most excessive example of Poznań, most spread urban area of the country with population of the city app. 534 thousand and urban area above 1,100 thousand inhabitants. On the other hand, the Upper Silesian Industrial Region conurbation with numerous large and medium cities covers 3,200 km and has approximately 3 million people. The metropolitan areas in Poland are the biggest urban zones (e.g. Upper Silesian metropolitan area, Łódź metropolitan area and Szczecin metropolitan area) and have great impact on the rural surroundings, as it is around Lublin, Radom, Kielce, Tarnów and Białystok.

#### Russia

Moscow, the capital and largest city of Russia

Moscow, the capital and largest city of Russia , has a population estimated at 12.4 million residents within the city limits,[37] while over 17 million residents in the urban area,[38] and over 20 million residents in the Moscow Metropolitan Area.[39] It is among the world's largest cities, being the most populous city entirely within Europe, the most populous urban area in Europe,[38] the most populous metropolitan area in Europe,[39] and also the largest city by land area on the European continent.[40] Saint Petersburg, the cultural capital, is the second-largest city, with a population of roughly 5.4 million inhabitants.[41] Other major urban areas are Yekaterinburg, Novosibirsk, Kazan, Nizhny Novgorod, and Chelyabinsk.

#### Spain

Spain is a very highly urbanized country. Madrid is its largest urban area. The Southern and Eastern coasts with Barcelona, Valencia and Málaga are more urbanised than the Northern and Western ones.

#### Sweden

Urban areas in Sweden (tätorter) are statistically defined localities, totally independent of the administrative subdivision of the country. There are 1,956 such localities in Sweden, with a population ranging from 200 to 1,372,000 inhabitants.[42]

#### United Kingdom

In 2013 the United Kingdom 's Office for National Statistics (ONS) published 2011 Built-up Areas – Methodology and Guidance which sets out its definition of a Built-up area (BUA) as an area of built-up land of at least 20 hectares (0.077 sq mi), separated from other settlements by at least 200 metres (660 ft). For 2011 census data there are 5,493 built-up areas, of which 501 are divided into Built-up area sub-divisions (BUASD) for which data is also available. Each built-up area is named algorithmically, using Ordnance Survey place-name data.[43]

The ONS has produced census results from urban areas since 1951, since 1981 based upon the extent of irreversible urban development indicated on Ordnance Survey maps. The definition is an extent of at least 20 ha and at least 1,500 census residents. Separate areas are linked if less than 200 m (220 yd) apart. Included are transportation features.[44] The UK has five Urban Areas with a population over a million and a further sixty nine with a population over one hundred thousand.

### Oceania

#### Australia

The Australian Bureau of Statistics refers to urban areas as Urban Centres, which it generally defines as population clusters of 1,000 or more people.[45] Australia is one of the most urbanised countries in the world, with more than 50% of the population residing in Australia's three biggest urban centres.[citation needed][45]

Sydney is Australia's largest city, home to 5.3 million inhabitants.[46]

v * d * e

Largest populated areas in Australia

2021 data from Australian Bureau of Statistics[47]

| Rank |  | State |  Pop. | Rank |  | State |  Pop. |

Sydney

Melbourne | 1 | Sydney | NSW | 5,259,764 | 11 | Geelong | Vic | 289,400  |
Brisbane

Perth
2 | Melbourne | Vic | 4,976,157 | 12 | Hobart | Tas | 251,047
3 | Brisbane | Qld | 2,568,927 | 13 | Townsville | Qld | 181,665
4 | Perth | WA | 2,192,229 | 14 | Cairns | Qld | 155,638
5 | Adelaide | SA | 1,402,393 | 15 | Darwin | NT | 148,801
6 | Gold Coast–Tweed Heads | Qld/NSW | 706,673 | 16 | Toowoomba | Qld | 143,994
7 | Newcastle–Maitland | NSW | 509,894 | 17 | Ballarat | Vic | 111,702
8 | Canberra–Queanbeyan | ACT/NSW | 482,250 | 18 | Bendigo | Vic | 102,899
9 | Sunshine Coast | Qld | 355,631 | 19 | Albury-Wodonga | NSW/Vic | 97,676
10 | Wollongong | NSW | 305,880 | 20 | Launceston | Tas | 93,332

#### New Zealand

Statistics New Zealand defines urban areas in New Zealand, which are independent of any administrative subdivisions and have no legal basis.[48] There are four classes of urban area: major urban areas (population 100,000+), large urban areas (population 30,000–99,999), medium urban areas (population 10,000–29,999) and small urban areas (population 1,000–9,999). As of 2021, there are 7 major urban areas, 13 large urban areas, 22 medium urban areas and 136 small urban areas. Urban areas are reclassified after each New Zealand census, so population changes between censuses does not change an urban area's classification.

### North America

#### Canada

According to Statistics Canada, an urban area in Canada is an area with a population of at least 1,000 people where the density is no fewer than 400 persons per square kilometre (1,000/sq mi).[49] If two or more urban areas are within 2 km (1.2 mi) of each other by road, they are merged into a single urban area, provided they do not cross census metropolitan area or census agglomeration boundaries.[50]

In the Canada 2011 Census, Statistics Canada redesignated urban areas with the new term "population centre";[51] the new term was chosen in order to better reflect the fact that urban vs. rural is not a strict division, but rather a continuum within which several distinct settlement patterns may exist. For example, a community may fit a strictly statistical definition of an urban area, but may not be commonly thought of as "urban" because it has a smaller population, or functions socially and economically as a suburb of another urban area rather than as a self-contained urban entity, or is geographically remote from other urban communities. Accordingly, the new definition set out three distinct types of population centres: small (population 1,000 to 29,999), medium (population 30,000 to 99,999) and large (population 100,000 or greater).[51] Despite the change in terminology, however, the demographic definition of a population centre remains unchanged from that of an urban area: a population of at least 1,000 people where the density is no fewer than 400 persons per km2.

Template:Largest metropolitan areas of Canada

#### Mexico

Mexico is one of many countries where the urbanization rate is at least 80%. Mexico City, its capital, is the largest urban area in the country.

#### United States

In the United States , the Census Bureau defines urban areas and delineates urban area boundaries after each census. The Bureau defines an urban area as "a statistical geographic entity consisting of a densely settled core created from census blocks and contiguous qualifying territory that together have at least 2,000 housing units or 5,000 persons."[52] There were 2,646 urban areas identified by the Census Bureau for 2020. 511 of these had a population of 50,000 or more.[53]

For the 2000 and 2010 censuses, the Census Bureau differentiated between two kinds of urban areas: urbanized areas and urban clusters. The term urbanized area denoted an urban area of 50,000 or more people. Urban areas under 50,000 people were called urban clusters. Urbanized areas were first delineated in the United States in the 1950 census, while urban clusters were added in the 2000 census. The distinction between urbanized areas and urban clusters was removed for the 2020 census.[52]

Urban areas consist of a densely-settled urban core, plus surrounding developed areas that meet certain density criteria. Since urban areas are composed of census blocks and not cities, counties, or county-equivalents, urban area boundaries may consist of partial areas of these political units. Urban areas are distinguished from rural areas: any area not part of an urban area is considered to be rural by the Census Bureau.[52]

The largest urban area in the United States is that of New York City and its surrounding suburbs. The New York–Jersey City–Newark, NY–NJ urban area had a population of 19,426,449 as of 2020, while the larger metropolitan area had a population of 20,140,470, and the combined statistical area had a population of 23,582,649. The next five largest urban areas in the U.S. are those of Los Angeles , Chicago , Miami, Houston, and Dallas.[53] 80.0 percent of the population of the United States lives within the boundaries of an urban area as of the 2020 census.[54]

The skyscrapers of New York City , the most populous city in the United States and the most populous U.S. metropolitan area, are almost all situated in Manhattan, the world's largest central business district, seen here in this panorama in February 2018, as viewed from Weehawken, New Jersey.

1. Riverside Church
2. Time Warner Center
3. 220 Central Park South
4. Central Park Tower
5. One57
6. 432 Park Avenue
7. 53W53
8. Chrysler Building
9. Bank of America Tower
10. Conde Nast Building
11. The New York Times Building
12. Empire State Building
13. Manhattan West
14. a: 55 Hudson Yards, b: 35 Hudson Yards, c: 10 Hudson Yards, d: 15 Hudson Yards
15. 56 Leonard Street
16. 8 Spruce Street
17. Woolworth Building
18. 70 Pine Street
19. 30 Park Place
20. 40 Wall Street
21. Three World Trade Center
22. Four World Trade Center
23. One World Trade Center

The concept of Urbanized Areas as defined by the U.S. Census Bureau is often used as a more accurate gauge of the size of a city, since in different cities and states the lines between city borders and the urbanized area of that city are often not the same. For example, the city of Greenville, South Carolina has a city population just over 68,000 and an urbanized area population of around 400,000, while Greensboro, North Carolina has a city population just over 285,000 and an urbanized area population of around 300,000 — meaning that Greenville is actually "larger" for some intents and purposes, but not for others, such as taxation, local elections, etc.

In the U.S. Department of Agriculture's natural resources inventory, urban areas are officially known as developed areas or urban and built-up areas. Such areas include cities, ethnic villages, other built-up areas of more than 10 ac (4 ha), industrial sites, railroad yards, cemeteries, airports, golf courses, shooting ranges, institutional and public administration sites, and similar areas. The 1997 national resources inventory placed over 98,000,000 ac (40,000,000 ha) in this category, an increase of 25,000,000 ac (10,000,000 ha) since 1982.[55]

### South America

#### Argentina

Argentina is highly urbanized.[56] The ten largest metropolitan areas account for half of the population, and fewer than one in ten live in rural areas. About 3 million people live in Buenos Aires City and the Greater Buenos Aires metropolitan area totals around 15 million, making it one of the largest urban areas in the world, with a population of 18 million all up.[57]

Córdoba has around 1.5 million people living in the urban area, while Rosario, Mendoza and Tucumán have around 1.2 million inhabitants each[57] and La Plata, Mar del Plata, Salta and Santa Fe[57][58] have at least 500,000 people each.

#### Brazil

This section is an excerpt from List of metropolitan areas in Brazil § Definitions[ edit ]

Skyline of São Paulo, the largest city in Brazil

#### Chile

Chile is highly urbanized, just like Argentina. The largest urban area in the country is its capital, Santiago.

## See also

* Developed environments
* New Urbanism
* Surface sealing
* Urban climatology
* Urban culture
* Urban decay
* Urban exploration
* Urban forest
* Urban forestry
* Urban green space
* Urban planning
* Urban prairie
* Urban reforestation
* Urban renewal
* Urban vitality
* Urbanization

## References

1. ↑ "Federal Register/Vol. 75, No. 123/Monday, June 28, 2010/Notices". US Census Bureau. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2010-06-28/pdf/2010-15605.pdf.
2. ↑ Morris, A.E.J. (2 December 2013). "The Early Cities". History of Urban Form Before the Industrial Revolution (3 ed.). London: Routledge. p. 1. ISBN 9781317885146. https://books.google.com/books?id=whBEAgAAQBAJ. "[...] the Bronze Age, starting between 3500 and 3000 BC [...]. During this [...] period the first urban civilizations were firmly established."
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "City population to reach 6.4bn by 2050". Herald Globe. http://www.heraldglobe.com/index.php/sid/223727231/scat/2411cd3571b4f088/ht/City-population-to-reach-64bn-by-2050.
4. ↑ "United Nations Population Division – Department of Economic and Social Affairs". https://www.un.org/en/development/desa/population/publications/urbanization/urban-rural.shtml.
5. ↑ "Urban population growth". World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/gho/urban_health/situation_trends/urban_population_growth_text/en/.
6. ↑ "Current world population". United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs. http://www.geohive.com/earth/population_now.aspx.
7. ↑ "Climate Change 2022: Mitigation of Climate Change" (in en). https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg3/.
8. ↑ "Urban land area (km²)". https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/urban-land-area.
9. ↑ "2011 Census: Characteristics of Built-Up Areas (4. Introduction)". Office for National Statistics. 28 June 2013. https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/housing/articles/characteristicsofbuiltupareas/2013-06-28.
10. ↑ "World Factbook Urbanization". Central Intelligence Agency. https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/field/urbanization.
11. ↑ Demographia World Urban Areas 19th Annual: 202308, Demographia, August 2023, http://www.demographia.com/db-worldua.pdf, retrieved 24 January 2024
12. ↑ Dijkstra, Lewis; Poelman, Hugo (2014). "A harmonised definition of cities and rural areas: the new degree of urbanisation". Europa Commission. https://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/sources/work/2014_01_new_urban.pdf.
13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 "Preparing for China's urban billion". McKinsey Global Institute. February 2009. http://www.mckinsey.com/insights/mgi/research/urbanization/preparing_for_urban_billion_in_china.
14. ↑ "China urbanization (PDF)". World Bank Institute. 2011. http://wbi.worldbank.org/wbi/Data/wbi/wbicms/files/drupal-acquia/wbi/urban_china_urbanization2011.pdf.
15. ↑ Harney, Alexandra (3 February 2008). "Migrants are China's 'factories without smoke'". CNN. http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/02/01/china.migrants/index.html.
16. ↑ Tschang, Chi-Chu (4 February 2009). "A Tough New Year for China's Migrant Workers". Business Week. http://www.businessweek.com/globalbiz/content/feb2009/gb2009024_357998.htm.
17. ↑ Francesco Sisci. "China's floating population a headache for census". The Straits Times. 22 September 2000.
18. ↑ "Provisional Population Totals Urban Agglomerations and Cities, Data Highlights". Census of India 2011. 13 February 2012. http://www.censusindia.gov.in/2011-prov-results/paper2-vol2/data_files/India2/1. Data Highlight.pdf.
19. ↑ "Urban Agglomeration" (in en). India Economic Service. 10 April 2015. http://www.arthapedia.in/index.php?title=Urban_Agglomeration.
20. ↑ "The Urban Frontier—Karachi". NPR (National Public Radio). 2 June 2008. https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=91009748.
21. ↑ Jason Burke (17 August 2008). "Pakistan looks to life without the general". The Guardian (London). https://www.theguardian.com/world/2008/aug/17/pakistan.
22. ↑ "Bangladesh Population & Housing Census-2011". Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics. March 2014. http://www.bbs.gov.bd/WebTestApplication/userfiles/Image/National Reports/Union Statistics.pdf.
23. ↑ Population and Housing Census 2011 – Volume 3: Urban Area Report, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics, Aug 2014, http://203.112.218.65:8008/WebTestApplication/userfiles/Image/National Reports/Population Housing Census 2011.pdf
24. ↑ Mapa, Dennis S. (July 4, 2022). "Urban Population of the Philippines (2020 Census of Population and Housing)" (PDF) (Press release). Philippine Statistics Authority. Archived from the original on July 5, 2022. Retrieved May 20, 2023.
25. ↑ "World: metropolitan areas". World Gazetteer. http://world-gazetteer.com/wg.php?x=&men=gcis&lng=en&dat=32&srt=npan&col=aohdq&pt=a&va=&srt=pnan.
26. ↑ "The State of Asian and Pacific Cities 2015". United Nations ESCAP. 2015. https://www.unescap.org/sites/default/files/The State of Asian and Pacific Cities 2015.pdf. Retrieved August 18, 2021.
27. ↑ "Singapore Urban Redevelopment Authority". URA (Singapore). https://www.ura.gov.sg/Corporate/About-Us/What-We-Do. Retrieved August 18, 2021.
28. ↑ "Urban Redevelopment Authourity". http://www.ura.gov.sg/dgp_reports/angmokio/main.html.
29. ↑ "Locality – Concepts". Statistics Finland. http://www.stat.fi/meta/kas/taajama_en.html.
30. ↑ "Alueluokkien kuvaukset". Ymparisto. http://www.ymparisto.fi/fi-FI/Elinymparisto_ja_kaavoitus/Yhdyskuntarakenne/Tietoa_yhdyskuntarakenteesta/Kaupunkimaaseutu_luokitus/Alueluokkien_kuvaukset.
31. ↑ "Urban unit" (in en). INSEE. October 31, 2016. http://www.insee.fr/en/metadonnees/definition/c1501.
32. ↑ "Urban area" (in en). INSEE. October 31, 2016. http://www.insee.fr/en/metadonnees/definition/c2070.
33. ↑ "Tableaux de l'économie française, Édition 2020, Villes et communes de France". INSEE. https://www.insee.fr/fr/statistiques/4277602?sommaire=4318291.
34. ↑ "Verdichtungsräume nach Fläche, Bevölkerung und Bevölkerungsdichte am 31.12.2017, im November 2018 wegen korrigierter Bevölkerung revidiert" (in de). Statistisches Bundesamt. 2017. p. 10. https://www.destatis.de/DE/Themen/Laender-Regionen/Regionales/Gemeindeverzeichnis/Administrativ-Nicht/30-verdichtungsraeume.html.
35. ↑ "Population statistics. Population and land area in urban settlements, 1 January 2008". Statistics Norway. June 20, 2008. http://www.ssb.no/english/subjects/02/01/10/beftett_en/.
36. ↑ "Polish official population figures". http://www.stat.gov.pl/gus/45_655_PLK_HTML.htm.
37. ↑ "RUSSIA: Central'nyj Federal'nyj Okrug – Central Federal District". City Population.de. August 8, 2020. https://www.citypopulation.de/en/russia/cities/central/.
38. ↑ 38.0 38.1 "Demographia World Urban Areas". Demographia. http://www.demographia.com/db-worldua.pdf.
39. ↑ 39.0 39.1 Alexander Akishin (August 17, 2017). "A 3-Hour Commute: A Close Look At Moscow The Megapolis". Strelka Mag. https://strelkamag.com/en/article/moscow-agglomeration.
40. ↑ "Moscow, a City Undergoing Transformation". Planète Énergies. September 11, 2017. https://www.planete-energies.com/en/medias/close/moscow-city-undergoing-transformation.
41. ↑ "RUSSIA: Severo-Zapadnyj Federal'nyj Okrug: Northwestern Federal District". City Population.de. 8 August 2020. https://www.citypopulation.de/en/russia/cities/northwestern/.
42. ↑ "Fortsatt stor ökning av befolkning i tätorter". Statistics Sweden. http://www.scb.se/Pages/PressRelease____317009.aspx.
43. ↑ ONS Geography (August 2015). "2011 Built-up Areas – Methodology and Guidance". Office for National Statistics. https://geoportal.statistics.gov.uk/documents/ons::built-up-areas-user-guidance-1/explore.
44. ↑ KS01 Usual resident population: Census 2001, Key Statistics for urban areas
For the OS definition of an Urban Area, see the notes tab on the Excel version.
45. ↑ 45.0 45.1 "Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS)". 23 May 2011. https://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Lookup/2901.0Chapter23102011. Retrieved 21 October 2021.
46. ↑ "3218.0 – Regional Population Growth, Australia, 2019–20". Australian Bureau of Statistics. 30 March 2021. https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/people/population/regional-population/latest-release.
47. ↑ "Regional Population, 2021". 20 April 2023. https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/people/population/regional-population/latest-release.
48. ↑ "Urban area: Definition". Statistics New Zealand. http://www.stats.govt.nz/surveys_and_methods/methods/classifications-and-standards/classification-related-stats-standards/urban-area/definition.aspx.
49. ↑ "Urban area (UA)". Statistics Canada. 2009-11-20. http://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2006/ref/dict/geo049-eng.cfm.
50. ↑ "More information on Urban area (UA)". Statistics Canada. 2009-11-20. http://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2006/ref/dict/geo049a-eng.cfm.
51. ↑ 51.0 51.1 "From urban areas to population centres" . Statistics Canada, May 5, 2011.
52. ↑ 52.0 52.1 52.2 United States Census Bureau (March 24, 2022). "Urban Area Criteria for the 2020 Census-Final Criteria". https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2022/03/24/2022-06180/urban-area-criteria-for-the-2020-census-final-criteria.
53. ↑ 53.0 53.1 "List of 2020 Census Urban Areas". United States Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/geography/guidance/geo-areas/urban-rural.html.
54. ↑ "Nation's Urban and Rural Populations Shift Following 2020 Census". United States Census Bureau. December 29, 2022. https://www.census.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2022/urban-rural-populations.html.
55. ↑ This article incorporates public domain material from the Congressional Research Service document "Report for Congress: Agriculture: A Glossary of Terms, Programs, and Laws, 2005 Edition" by Jasper Womach.
56. ↑ "Field listing – Urbanization". The World Factbook. CIA. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2212.html?countryName=Argentina&countryCode=ar&regionCode=sa&#ar.
57. ↑ 57.0 57.1 57.2 "Major Cities". Government of Argentina. http://www.argentina.gov.ar/argentina/portal/paginas.dhtml?pagina=1484.
58. ↑ "Ubicación de la ciudad de salta" (in es). Directorate-General of Tourism, Municipality of the City of Salta. http://turismo.municipalidad-salta.gov.ar:8081/ubicacion.aspx.

## External links

* United Nations Statistics Division (UNSTAT): Definition of "urban"
* World Urban Areas All identified world urbanized areas 500,000+ and others: Population & Density.
* Geopolis: research group, University of Paris-Diderot, France for world urban areas
* Gridded Population of the World – contains links to urban area definitions and maps for over 230 countries/territories
* City Mayors – The World's Largest Urban Areas in 2006
* City Mayors – The World's Largest Urban Areas Projected for 2020
* PopulationData – World's largest urban areas 1,000,000+ population

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