How cities affect citizens, countries and the environment

This chapter examines the role of cities in the local, national and supra-national dimension. For each of these levels, the chapter asks the question of whether cities are “good”. The first section considers whether cities are good for their residents, with an emphasis on the trade-off between the benefits and costs that arise from agglomeration for city residents. Taking the question to the national level, the second section investigates whether cities are good for their country. This section considers the concentration of countries’ activity in cities, the role of cities for innovation and the impact of cities beyond their borders. The final section asks whether cities are good for the planet, focusing on the environmental footprint of cities.