David Satterthwaite's blog

Ahead of this year’s World Habitat Day themed ‘Housing for All’, David Satterthwaite sets out why adequate housing is fundamental for health, safety, inclusion in society, and access to employment and services – and for preventing the spread of COVID-19.

No one wants to live in a tiny illegal shack with no piped water, no sanitation, no public services and at high risk of eviction. But for hundreds of millions of people, this is the only affordable option. Low-income workers and service providers on whom city economies depend usually live in the worst housing.

The pandemic is an opportunity for cities to dramatically rethink use of housing, transport and public spaces in ways that would serve all citizens, especially the socially vulnerable.

Environmental justice has many health implications, and COVID-19 is no exception.

A group of young architects in Bangladesh have worked alongside low-income communities to develop a practical, hands-on guidebook to help residents manage the impacts of the virus.

Various lists and indicators are used to determine which cities are deemed ‘world cities’. David Satterthwaite examines four lists of different indicators and discusses which cities come out on top.

What are termed ‘world’ cities or ‘global’ cities command and control the world economy, and are centres for transnational corporations (TNCs). They are mostly among the world’s wealthy cities; if not, they are at least among the wealthiest in their nation.

David Satterthwaite examines the factors driving the development of cities

Two previous blogs in this series focused on what drives or shapes urban change within nations. This blog looks at what drives cities’ development trajectories, especially successful large cities.