CHAPTER 1.4 The Next Frontier of E-Government: Local Governments May Hold the Keys to Global Competition

In 1950, one-third of the world population lived in cities. Half a century later, the proportion had increased to one-half, and it is estimated that, by 2050, six billion people (that is, two-thirds of the world population) will live in cities. Currently the urban population of developing countries is projected to double in 30 years, increasing from 2 billion in 2000 to 4 billion in 2030. In less than 10 years from now, most of the “mega-cities ” emerging from that process will be located in developing countries (see Figure 1). Such projections obviously raise questions about the ability of the cities of the future to sustain this type of growth while maintaining adequate levels of production and delivery of key public services such as water, transport, electricity, sanitation, education, and containment of crim