Cities, management, territory and environment

thE study of cities and their place in the crosshairs of world society develop ment strategies is a matter that has become more and more relevant over recent decades as cities have asserted themselves not only as centers of political and economic power, but also as meeting points of great populations and numerous migrations. The data is revealing. In 1900 urban population represented only 13 % of world total, in 1950 it reached 29 % and today it is around 52 % (United Nations 2011). Due to migration and population growth, 185,000 inhabitants are added daily to the urban population, so that cities have become the virtual receptacle for twenty first century society. Projections for 2050 indicate that urban popu lation could reach between 64 and 69 percent of the world total (United Nations 2011), moment in which urban surface could double or even triple, depending on population and economic dynamics (Angel et al. 2011). Urbanization would be more intense in certain regions that so far haven’t experienced important ur banization rates, like in the U.S. (89%), Europe (73%) and Latin America (78%)