The State of the World revolves, in part, around the potential for revolutionary thinking concerning the urbanization of Africa and Asia, according to the United Nations Family Planning Association (UNFPA). In their annual State of the World 2007: Unleashing the Potential of Urban Growth, UNFPA warns the speed and growth of urban centers requires revolutionary thinking. Take three minutes to watch an amazing multimedia presentation from UNFPA in the lower right column of our front page.

As of 2008, more than half the world’s current 6.7 billion people will live in cities. By 2030, the urban population alone will rise to 5 billion, or 60 per cent of total world population.

“The battle for the Millennium Development Goals to halve extreme poverty by 2015 will be won or lost in the cities of the developing world,” says UNFPA Executive Director, Thoraya Ahmed Obaid. “This means accepting the rights of poor people to live in cities and working with their creativity to tackle potential problems and generate new solutions.”

From UNFPA's press release:

According to the report, city authorities and urban planners should make it a priority to provide for the shelter needs of the urban poor. They should offer the poor secure tenure on land that is outfitted with power, water and sanitation services. Those living in poor communities should have access to education and health care and should be encouraged to build their own homes.

Half of the urban population is under the age of 25. The Youth Supplement, Growing Up Urban, tells the stories of 10 young people who have migrated to, or are growing up in, cities. It also highlights the special needs of young people—for education and health care, for protection from violence, for employment and for integration into the wider society. Meeting these needs will help many escape their own impoverished upbringing.

Policymakers and planners need to harness the potential of cities to improve the lives of all. Three initiatives stand out:

• Accept the right of poor people to the city, abandoning attempts to discourage migration and prevent urban growth. City authorities should work closely with organizations of the urban poor, including women’s organizations.

• Adopt a broad and long-term vision of the use of urban space. This means, among other things, providing minimally serviced land for housing and planning in advance to promote sustainable land use both within cities and in the surrounding areas.

• Begin a concerted international effort to support strategies for the urban future.