The never-ending city
Cities are pushing beyond their limits and are merging into new massive conurbations known as mega-regions, which are linked both physically and economically. Their expansion drives economic growth but also leads to urban sprawl, rising inequalities and urban unrest.
The biggest mega-regions, which are at the forefront of the rapid urbanisation sweeping the world, are:
Hong Kong-Shenhzen-Guangzhou, China, home to about 120 million people;
Nagoya-Osaka-Kyoto-Kobe, Japan, expected to grow to 60 million people by 2015;
Rio de Janeiro-S?o Paulo region with 43 million people in Brazil.
The same trend on an even larger scale is seen in fast-growing "urban corridors":
West Africa: 600km of urbanisation linking Nigeria, Benin, Togo and Ghana, and driving the entire region's economy;
India: From Mumbai to Dehli;
East Asia: Four connected megalopolises and 77 separate cities of over 200,000 people each occur from Beijing to Tokyo via Pyongyang and Seoul.
【重点单词及短语】
outgoing adj. 即将离任的
account for 对……负有责任;对……做出解释;说明……的原因
urban sprawl 城市扩张;都市向郊区扩张的现象
satellite city 卫星城市
dormitory city 郊外住宅区
economic disparity 经济差距
urban unrest 城市动乱
sanitation n. 环境卫生
marginalisation n. 边缘化
segregation n. 种族隔离;隔离;分离
ghetto n. 贫民区;犹太人区
Question time:
1. What is the so-called mega-region according to the UN report?
2. Can you state the advantages and disadvantages of mega-region?