Parag Khanna suggests that cities are the building blocks of humanity, and will take increasing control over the future shape of the world in the coming decades.
Khanna notes that cities and mega-cities are playing a bigger role in determining how places change, especially in comparison with countries.
"The thing to notice is that the dots of light cascade across the Earth's surface without any reference to national borders. That's a good image for the global order now emerging. The 21st century will not be dominated by America or China, Brazil or India, but by The City. In a world that increasingly appears ungovernable, cities-not states-are the islands of governance on which the future world order will be built. Cities are humanity's real building blocks because of their economic size, population density, political dominance, and innovative edge. They are real "facts on the ground," almost immeasurably more meaningful to most people in the world than often invisible national borders."
FULL STORY: When cities rule the world
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City of Albany
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research