Megacities are more populated than most nations – and more people are urban than rural. Therefor traditional thinking about urban LifeQuality is not that relevant anymore. Not all megacities are the capital of the nations, though, but rather becomes competitors, - nationally as well as internationally. Historically, some capitals have moved from one city to another, - like Ankara in Turkey. Intriguingly, its predecessor, Constantinople, was called the second Rome (Roma2), since it was the successor of the Roman empire’s capital in Italy. Still more curious, Moscow/Kremlin claimed to be the successor of that christian Rome (Roma2), legitimized by a declaration of a domestic monk. Hence, in this blog, the focus is set on some megacities to talk through such issues related to this UU blog-series.
Generally said, a megacity, metropolis or metroplex, is a very large city, - typically with a population of more than 10 Mp (million people) and density of 2 Kp/km2. A conurbation, or megapolis, is rather a region comprising a number of metropolises, cities, large towns and other urban areas. They have merged to form a continuous polycentric, urbanely and/or industrial area. Therefore, some megacity mayors could be considered more powerful than most national heads of states.
According to the UN there are 33 megacities, where half are in China and India. Other countries with several megacity are Brazil, Japan, Pakistan, and USA. African megacities are in Nigeria, Egypt, South Africa, and the DRC; European megacities are in Russia, France, the UK, and Turkey; Latin American megacities are in Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, Peru, and Argentina. Some sources identify Tokyo (37 Mp) as the world’s largest conurbation, whilst NYC has 20 Mp due to hosting the UN-HQ and the UN global parliament.
Megacities have several serious challenges related to the UN SDGs for 2030. Most crucial are the SDG-09 (industry, innovation and infrastructure) SDG-11 (cities and communities), SDG-12 (production and consumption). However, as mentioned in the previous blog UU20220703 – all the SDGs are highly relevant for cities. In particular, some major challenges for Megacities are related to; slums, crime, homelessness, traffic crowding, urban sprawl, redevelopment, distribution, pollution, energy and material resources, - in addition to issues of the HR related SDGs. However, this decade of industrial and social reforms (IR4/SR4) do certainly provide innovating solutions for most of the challenges. Still, the main barriers are dysfunctional institution (SDG-16) and barriers to the public/private partnerships (SDG-17).
However, more serous are the megacities’ rivalry and hybrid warfare. This is not anything new, though, since the ancient Persian/Egyptian warfare included drugs and hypnosis. Anyways, this millennium shows extended forms of hybrid warfare that involves means like; money, information, isms, riots, assassins, food, water, drugs, health, epidemic and energy. Such altering hybrid warfare has been going on towards the west in 100 years, since the Kremlin’s Comintern declaration in 1920. However, - like the starting shot of WW1 in Sarajevo in 1914, - this modern megacity warfare might be the 911 event in the global megacity NYC.
The capital megacity Beijing have been very direct in the take-over of domestic megacities. Although ‘merely’ 7,6 Mp, most obvious is the annexation of Hong Kong. Recently, the PPX infiltrated it with illegal legislation and anti-HR mass-violations towards the still independent citizens. Beijing also seems to use disinformation of epidemics as hybrid warfare towards its rival megacities Shanghai and Wuhan. The justifications of no-tolerance of SARS-COVIS seems rather to cover up the non-tolerance towards the obligated HR treaties and the democratic humans. The most alarming case though, follows the Olympics meetings between the PPP and PPX. Beijing knew very well about the PPP plans of invasion of the peaceful Ukraine. In fact, the PPP Ego state altered fundamentally in that dedicated warfare towards its own origin – in the ‘Rus vs Rus vs Rus’ War-Game in the West. Even more, the theocratic Kirill of the megacity Moscow/Kremlin could be as influential as the PPP in certain issues. Anyways, a main motive for this ‘un-development’ goal is most certainly to weaken the Western alliance for the planned invasion of Taiwan, Seoul– and Tokyo.
Conclusively, there are some common and fundamental qualities of cities, capitals, megacities. As mentioned in the previous blog, some are related to the human psychosocial states of Drive, Will and Belief. Hence, the theories of such 3D analysis are relevant to cities as well as other organisations and humanity as a whole. Such issues are of main concern of this decade of blogging. Blogs like UU20220612 and UU20220101 provides some pinpoints to struggles, diagnostics and healing. Still, megacity or not, hybrid warfare is as ancient as cities and involves rivalries of Superior-Belief, S-Will and S-Drive. These issues are the main theme for this blog-series called Sustainable Development Goals for 2030 / The 5th Pyramid Game Over (SDG2030/P5GO).
Links Megacities:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Megacity
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conurbation
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Megacity#Challenges
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sustainable_city
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/City
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_and_dependencies_by_population
https://www.c40.org/what-we-do/influencing-the-global-agenda/
UN Sustainable Development Goals: https://sdgs.un.org/goals
The first P5GO blog:
http://bloguu.azurewebsites.net/uu_2016/UU20160513.html
See all UU blogs at: http://bloguu.azurewebsites.net/
Music:
John Foxx - Shifting City (VJ Karborn) + lyrics
https://youtu.be/LHY-2gDnJ8I
https://genius.com/John-foxx-shifting-city-lyrics
This documentary presents seven of the most amazing megacities around the world. Megacities in this video include Tokyo, Japan; São Paulo, Brazil; Cairo, Egypt; Mexico City, Mexico; New York, USA; Dhaka, Bangladesh; and Paris, France.
MEGACITIES of the World (Season 1 - Complete)
https://youtu.be/0ULzxD3w_c8
More Megacity documentaries:
China's Ballooning Cities: The rise of megacities in Asia
https://youtu.be/Mhurj2dCtCk
China's competition for living space
https://youtu.be/C6wY2b9amnA
How China crushed Hong Kong
https://youtu.be/zbSypV2ixjE
SHANGHAI: China's Largest MEGACITY
https://youtu.be/N6XZekbQ0SE
Taiwan vs. China - The rocky road to democracy
https://youtu.be/otmp2NqDDX8
Futuristic Dynamic Korea, Seoul
https://youtu.be/pcibh_kMiDQ
DELHI: India's Capital MEGACITY
https://youtu.be/OUPTGDrXDy4
Megacity Mumbai - From slums to skyscrapers
https://youtu.be/8UbKpTwGuSs
The Magnificent Megacity of Dubai
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gcby7Q6V7Ck
Kuala Lumpur: Megacity In The Jungle
https://youtu.be/w191rJfVdYQ
London Megacities
https://youtu.be/kTCRogoSH3U
Jakarta - Magnificent Megacities
https://youtu.be/pKbiTi4gAZ8