Hidden cities : unmasking and overcoming health inequities in urban settings.

[Kobe, Japan] : World Health Organization : UN-HABITAT, c2010.

xviii, 126 p. : col. ill. ; 30 cm.

Produced by the World Health Organization, The WHO Centre for Health Development, Kobe, and United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT), 2010.

"The joint WHO and UN-HABITAT report, Hidden cities: unmasking and overcoming health inequities in urban settings, is being released at a turning point in human history. For the first time ever, the majority of the world's population is living in cities, and this proportion continues to grow. Putting this into numbers, in 1990 fewer than 4 in 10 people lived in urban areas. In 2010, more than half live in cities, and by 2050 this proportion will grow to 7 out of every 10 people. The number of urban residents is growing by nearly 60 million every year. This demographic transition from rural to urban, or urbanization, has far-reaching consequences. Urbanization has been associated with overall shifts in the economy, away from agriculture-based activities and towards mass industry, technology and service. High urban densities have reduced transaction costs, made public spending on infrastructure and services more economically viable, and facilitated generation and diffusion of knowledge, all of which have fuelled economic growth." - p. ix

Also available via the World Wide Web as an Acrobat .pdf file (3.3 MB, 145 p.).

English

December 08, 2010

Includes bibliographical references (p. 118-126).

United Nations Human Settlements Programme.