Riding the Growth Bubble in an Increasingly Urban World

More than half the world now lives in urban areas, and in the next several decades nearly all population growth will be in urban areas. The fastest urbanisation is taking place in developing countries, which are already disaster-prone. More and more urban residents are living in squalid, hazard-prone, unhealthy and crime-riddled environments. The risks and vulnerabilities of living in urban conditions are only exacerbated during crises. This blog argues that it is time to take into consideration the rapidly growing urban bubble before us. We must focus on creating resilient living conditions in urban areas that are capable of withstanding the subsequent shocks of a disaster.