:urban area

File:Global land use for food production, OWID statistic.png

In 1950, 764 million people (or about 30 percent of the world's 2.5 billion people) lived in urban areas. In 2009, the number of people living in urban areas (3.42 billion) surpassed the number living in rural areas (3.41 billion), and since then the world has become more urban than rural.{{cite web|url=https://www.un.org/en/development/desa/population/publications/urbanization/urban-rural.shtml|title=United Nations Population Division – Department of Economic and Social Affairs}} By 2014, it was 3.9 billion (or about 53 percent of the world's 7.3 billion people) that lived in urban areas. The change was driven by a combination of increased total population and increased percent of population living in urban areas.{{cite news|title=City population to reach 6.4bn by 2050|url=http://www.heraldglobe.com/index.php/sid/223727231/scat/2411cd3571b4f088/ht/City-population-to-reach-64bn-by-2050|access-date=11 July 2014|work=Herald Globe|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714211145/http://www.heraldglobe.com/index.php/sid/223727231/scat/2411cd3571b4f088/ht/City-population-to-reach-64bn-by-2050|archive-date=2014-07-14|url-status=dead}}This was the first time that the majority of the world's population lived in a city.{{cite web |url=https://www.who.int/gho/urban_health/situation_trends/urban_population_growth_text/en/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120308235946/http://www.who.int/gho/urban_health/situation_trends/urban_population_growth_text/en/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=March 8, 2012 |title= Urban population growth |publisher= World Health Organization}} By that time a high estimate calculated up to 3.5 million square kilometers of land were urban, estimates ranging from 1% of global land area.{{cite web | title=How Much of the World is Covered by Cities? | website=Newgeography.com | date=October 30, 2024 | url=https://www.newgeography.com/content/001689-how-much-world-covered-cities | access-date=October 30, 2024}}{{cite journal | last=Ritchie | first=Hannah | last2=Roser | first2=Max | title=Land Use | journal=Our World in Data | date=February 16, 2024 | url=https://ourworldindata.org/land-use#half-of-the-world-s-habitable-land-is-used-for-agriculture | access-date=October 30, 2024 | page=}} In 2014 there were 7.3 billion people living on the planet,{{cite news |title= Current world population |url= http://www.geohive.com/earth/population_now.aspx |access-date= 11 July 2014 |publisher= United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs |url-status= dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140702055710/http://www.geohive.com/earth/population_now.aspx |archive-date= 2 July 2014 }} of which the global urban population comprised 3.9 billion. The Population Division of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs at that time predicted the urban population would occupy 68% of the world population by 2050, with 90% of that growth coming from Africa and Asia.{{Cite web |title=Climate Change 2022: Mitigation of Climate Change |url=https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg3/ |access-date=2022-04-04 |website=www.ipcc.ch |language=en}}

{{main|Urbanization}}

File:Urban land area (km²), OWID.svg

File:2020 1million cities.jpg

Urban areas are created and further developed by the process of urbanization. They are measured for various purposes, including analyzing population density and urban sprawl. Urban areas are generally found in the United States, Canada, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Chile, Japan, Australia, and many other countries where the urbanization rate is high.

Unlike an urban area, a metropolitan area includes not only the urban area, but also satellite cities plus intervening rural land that is socio-economically connected to the urban core city, typically by employment ties through commuting, with the urban core city being the primary labor market.

The concept of an "urban area" as used in economic statistics should not be confused with the concept of the "urban area" used in road safety statistics. This term was first created by Geographer Brian Manning. The last concept is also known as "built-up area in road safety". According to the definition by the Office for National Statistics, "Built-up areas are defined as land which is 'irreversibly urban in character', meaning that they are characteristic of a town or city. They include areas of built-up land with a minimum of {{convert|20|ha|sqm acre}}. Any areas [separated by] less than 200 metres [of non-urban space] are linked to become a single built-up area.{{cite web| url=https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/housing/articles/characteristicsofbuiltupareas/2013-06-28|title=2011 Census: Characteristics of Built-Up Areas (4. Introduction)|publisher=Office for National Statistics|date=28 June 2013|access-date=20 October 2019}}

Argentina and Japan are countries where the urbanization rate is over 90% while Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Mexico, and the United States are countries where the urbanization rate is between 80% and 90%, although within the U.S. state of New Jersey, the urbanization rate is 100%.{{Cite journal |last=Ritchie |first=Hannah |last2=Samborska |first2=Veronika |last3=Roser |first3=Max |date=2024-02-23 |title=Urbanization |url=https://ourworldindata.org/urbanization#:~:text=Using%20these%20definitions,%20it%20reports,shown%20in%20the%20chart%20below. |journal=Our World in Data}}

There are two measures of the degree of urbanization of a population. The first, urban population, describes the percentage of the total population living in urban areas, as defined by the country. The second measure, rate of urbanization, describes the projected average rate of change of the size of the urban population over the given period of time. According to Urbanization by sovereign state article, the world as a whole is 56.2% urbanized, with roughly one-quarter of the countries reported as greater than 80% urbanized. Data is taken from the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency World Factbook estimates from 2020.{{cite web|url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/field/urbanization|title=World Factbook Urbanization|work=Central Intelligence Agency|access-date=26 August 2018}}

{{See also|List of largest cities|List of largest urban areas by country|List of largest urban areas by continent}}

According to Demographia, these are the 200 largest urban areas in the world by population (as of 2023):{{citation |url=http://www.demographia.com/db-worldua.pdf |title=Demographia World Urban Areas 19th Annual: 202308 |publisher=Demographia |date=August 2023 |access-date=24 January 2024}}

Presently, urban data are based on arbitrary definitions that vary from country to country and from year or census to the next, making them difficult to compare.

An Urban Metric System (UMS) has been conceived that could correct the problem,{{cite web |url=https://authors.elsevier.com/sd/article/S1757-7802(24)00342-1|title=Estimating urban sprawl standards by means of the Urban Metric System |last1=Tellier |first1=Luc-Normand |last2=Quesnel |first2=Frédéric |last3=Bur |first3=Justin |publisher=Regional Science Policy and Planning |date=November 2024 }} since it allows computing the urban area limits and central points, and it can be applied in the same way to all past, present and future population and job distributions.

It is based on vector field calculations obtained by assuming that, in a given space, all inhabitants and jobs exert the same attractive force A and repulsive force R. The net force (A - R) exerted by each inhabitant or job is given by [1/(1 + d)] - [1/( β + d/2)], where d = distance and β is the only parameter.

UMS distinguishes the following types of urban areas, each type corresponding to a given value of β:

UMS has been applied to some Canadian cases since 2018, but the data presented in this article are still based on the various existing national definitions, which are disparate.

{{Blockquote|The UN publishes data on cities, urban areas and rural areas, but relies almost entirely on national definitions of these areas. The UN principles and recommendations state that due to different characteristics of urban and rural areas across the globe, a global definition is not possible.{{cite web |url=https://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/sources/work/2014_01_new_urban.pdf |title=A harmonised definition of cities and rural areas: the new degree of urbanisation |last1=Dijkstra |first1=Lewis |last2=Poelman |first2=Hugo |series=Regional Working Paper |publisher=Europa Commission |date=2014 |access-date=28 December 2023 }}}}

European countries{{which|date=September 2019}} define urbanized areas on the basis of urban-type land use, not allowing any gaps of typically more than {{convert|200|m|yd}}, and use satellite imagery instead of census blocks to determine the boundaries of the urban area. In less-developed countries{{which|date=September 2019}}, in addition to land use and density requirements, a requirement that a large majority of the population, typically 75%, is not engaged in agriculture and/or fishing is sometimes used.{{citation needed|date=October 2020}}

{{Main|List of cities in China by population and built-up area}}

Since 2000, China's cities have expanded at an average rate of 10% annually. It is estimated that China's urban population will increase by 292 million people by 2050, when its cities will house a combined population of over one billion.{{cite web|url=http://www.mckinsey.com/insights/mgi/research/urbanization/preparing_for_urban_billion_in_china|title=Preparing for China's urban billion|publisher=McKinsey Global Institute|date=February 2009|access-date=12 December 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121224074932/http://www.mckinsey.com/insights/mgi/research/urbanization/preparing_for_urban_billion_in_china|archive-date=24 December 2012|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}} The country's urbanization rate increased from 17.4% to 46.6% between 1978 and 2009.{{cite web|url=http://wbi.worldbank.org/wbi/Data/wbi/wbicms/files/drupal-acquia/wbi/urban_china_urbanization2011.pdf|title=China urbanization (PDF)|publisher=World Bank Institute|year=2011|access-date=12 December 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130115173104/http://wbi.worldbank.org/wbi/Data/wbi/wbicms/files/drupal-acquia/wbi/urban_china_urbanization2011.pdf|archive-date=15 January 2013|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}} Between 150 and 200 million migrant workers work part-time in the major cities, returning home to the countryside periodically with their earnings.{{Cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/02/01/china.migrants/index.html|title=Migrants are China's 'factories without smoke'|publisher=CNN |first=Alexandra|last=Harney|date=3 February 2008|access-date=27 March 2009}}{{cite web|url=http://www.businessweek.com/globalbiz/content/feb2009/gb2009024_357998.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090208012238/http://www.businessweek.com/globalbiz/content/feb2009/gb2009024_357998.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=February 8, 2009|title=A Tough New Year for China's Migrant Workers|work=Business Week |first=Chi-Chu|last=Tschang|date=4 February 2009|access-date=27 March 2009}}

China has more cities with one million or more long-term residents than any other country, including the three global cities of Beijing, Hong Kong, and Shanghai; by 2025, the country will be home to 221 cities with over a million inhabitants. The figures in the table below are from the 2008 census, and are only estimates of the urban populations within administrative city limits; a different ranking exists when considering the total municipal populations (which includes suburban and rural populations). The large "floating populations" of migrant workers make conducting censuses in urban areas difficult;Francesco Sisci. "China's floating population a headache for census". The Straits Times. 22 September 2000. the figures below include only long-term residents.

{{wide image|Shanghai_Pudong_Panorama_Jan_2_2014.jpg|1000px|Panoramic view of Pudong's skyline from the Bund in Shanghai}}

{{Most populous cities in the People's Republic of China|class=info}}

In Japan, urbanized areas are defined as contiguous areas of densely inhabited districts (DIDs) using census enumeration districts as units with a density requirement of {{convert|4000|PD/sqkm|PD/sqmi}}.

Seoul is the largest urban area in South Korea.

Greater Taipei is the largest urban area in Taiwan.

{{Largest cities in Taiwan|class=info}}

{{Main|Urbanisation in India|List of cities in India by population}}

For the Census of India 2011, the definition of urban area is a place having a minimum population of 5,000 of density {{convert|400|/km2|/sqmi |adj=pre|persons}} or higher, and 75% plus of the male working population employed in non-agricultural activities. Places administered by a municipal corporation, cantonment board or notified town area committee are automatically considered urban areas.{{cite web|title=Provisional Population Totals Urban Agglomerations and Cities, Data Highlights|url=http://www.censusindia.gov.in/2011-prov-results/paper2-vol2/data_files/India2/1.%20Data%20Highlight.pdf|publisher=Census of India 2011|date=13 February 2012}}

The Census of India 2011 also defined the term "urban agglomeration" as an integrated urban area consisting of a core town together with its "outgrowths" (contiguous suburbs).{{cite web|title=Urban Agglomeration|url=http://www.arthapedia.in/index.php?title=Urban_Agglomeration|website=Arthapedia|publisher=India Economic Service|language=en|date=10 April 2015}}

{{Largest urban agglomerations in India|class=}}

{{Main|Urbanisation in Pakistan|List of most populous cities in Pakistan}}

In Pakistan, an area is a major city and municipality if it has more than 100,000 inhabitants according to census results.

Cities include adjacent cantonments.

Urbanisation in Pakistan has increased since the time of independence and has several different causes. The majority of southern Pakistan's population lives along the Indus River. Karachi is its most populous city.{{cite news|title=The Urban Frontier—Karachi|newspaper = NPR|url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=91009748|publisher=National Public Radio|date=2 June 2008| access-date=2 July 2008}} In the northern half of the country, most of the population lives in an arc formed by the cities of Lahore, Faisalabad, Rawalpindi, Islamabad, Gujranwala, Sialkot, Gujrat, Jhelum, Sargodha, Sheikhupura, Nowshera, Mardan and Peshawar. During 1990–2008, city dwellers made up 36% of Pakistan's population, making it the most urbanised nation in South Asia. Furthermore, 50% of Pakistanis live in towns of 5,000 people or more.{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2008/aug/17/pakistan|work=The Guardian |location=London|title=Pakistan looks to life without the general|author=Jason Burke|date=17 August 2008|access-date=20 May 2010}}

Karachi is the most populated city in Pakistan closely followed by Lahore according to the 2017 Census.

In Bangladesh, there are total 532 urban areas, which are divided into three categories. Those are City Corporation, Municipal Corporation (Pourasova) and Upazila town. Among those urban areas, Dhaka is the largest city by population and area, with a population of 19.10 million.{{Cite web|date=March 2014|title=Bangladesh Population & Housing Census-2011|url=http://www.bbs.gov.bd/WebTestApplication/userfiles/Image/National%20Reports/Union%20Statistics.pdf|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151208044832/http://www.bbs.gov.bd/WebTestApplication/userfiles/Image/National%20Reports/Union%20Statistics.pdf|archive-date=8 December 2015|publisher=Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics}} In Bangladesh, there are total 11 City Corporations and 329 Municipal Corporations and 203 Small towns, which serves as the center for Upazilas. According to 2011 population census, Bangladesh has an urban population of 28%, with a growth rate of 2.8%.{{Citation|title=Population and Housing Census 2011 – Volume 3: Urban Area Report|date=Aug 2014|url=http://203.112.218.65:8008/WebTestApplication/userfiles/Image/National%20Reports/Population%20%20Housing%20Census%202011.pdf|publisher=Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics}} At this growth rate, it is estimated that the urban population of Bangladesh will reach 79 million or 42% of total population by 2035.

In 2020, 54 percent of the Philippine population lived in urban areas.{{cite press release |last1=Mapa |first1=Dennis S. |title=Urban Population of the Philippines (2020 Census of Population and Housing) |url=https://psa.gov.ph/content/urban-population-philippines-2020-census-population-and-housing |publisher=Philippine Statistics Authority |access-date=May 20, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220705104809/https://psa.gov.ph/sites/default/files/attachments/hsd/pressrelease/1_PR_Urban%20Population_RML_063022_ONS-signed.pdf |archive-date=July 5, 2022 |date=July 4, 2022}} With an estimated population of 16.3 million, Metro Manila is the most populous metropolitan area in the Philippines and the 11th in the world. However, the greater urban area is the 5th largest in the world with a population of 20,654,307 people (2010 estimate).{{cite web|url=http://world-gazetteer.com/wg.php?x=&men=gcis&lng=en&dat=32&srt=npan&col=aohdq&pt=a&va=&srt=pnan|title=World: metropolitan areas|publisher=World Gazetteer|access-date=2010-01-22|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930211424/http://world-gazetteer.com/wg.php?x=&men=gcis&lng=en&dat=32&srt=npan&col=aohdq&pt=a&va=&srt=pnan|archive-date=2007-09-30}}

{{further|Geography of Singapore|Planning Areas of Singapore}}

As an island city-state, about 5.6 million people live and work within {{convert|700|km2}}. With 64 islands and islets, Singapore Island makes up the largest urban area in the country. According to the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, the country has the highest urbanised population in Southeast Asia, with 100 percent of its population living in an urban area.{{cite web|url=https://www.unescap.org/sites/default/files/The%20State%20of%20Asian%20and%20Pacific%20Cities%202015.pdf|title=The State of Asian and Pacific Cities 2015|publisher=United Nations ESCAP|date=2015|accessdate=August 18, 2021}} The Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) is responsible for the urban land-use planning, which designates land use and urban density of the country.{{cite web|url=https://www.ura.gov.sg/Corporate/About-Us/What-We-Do|title=Singapore Urban Redevelopment Authority|publisher=URA (Singapore)|accessdate=August 18, 2021}} The country is divided into 5 regions for planning purposes by the URA, even though as a city state Singapore is defined as a single continuous urban area. It is further subdivided into 55 urban planning areas, which acts as the boundaries of planned towns within the country.{{Cite web |url=http://www.ura.gov.sg/dgp_reports/angmokio/main.html |title=Urban Redevelopment Authourity |access-date=2007-06-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070612192146/http://www.ura.gov.sg/dgp_reports/angmokio/main.html |archive-date=2007-06-12 |url-status=dead }}

In Vietnam, there are six types of urban areas:

• Special urban area (2 municipalities): Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.
• Type I urban area (18 provincial cities and 3 municipalities): Long Xuyên, Pleiku, Mỹ Tho, Thủ Dầu Một, Bắc Ninh, Biên Hòa, Hải Dương, Thanh Hóa, Hạ Long, Việt Trì, Thái Nguyên, Nam Định, Vũng Tàu, Buôn Ma Thuột, Đà Lạt, Quy Nhơn, Nha Trang, Huế, Vinh, Cần Thơ, Đà Nẵng and Hải Phòng.
• Type II urban area (21 provincial cities and 1 district):Châu Đốc, Đồng Hới, Uông Bí, Bắc Giang, Ninh Bình, Bạc Liêu, Bà Rịa, Thái Bình, Rạch Giá, Cà Mau, Phan Rang–Tháp Chàm, Tuy Hòa, Phan Thiết, Vĩnh Yên, Lào Cai and Phú Quốc.
• Type III urban area (31 provincial cities and 12 towns).
• Type IV urban area (35 towns and 35 townships).
• Type V urban area (586 townships and 54 communes).

Bangkok is the largest urban area in Thailand.

{{Main|Urban areas in Finland|List of urban areas in Finland by population}}

File:Taajama kyltti Vimpelissä.jpg indicating the beginning of an urban area in Finland]]

As in other Nordic countries, an urban area ({{lang|fi|taajama}} in Finnish) in Finland must have a building at least every {{convert|200|m|ft|abbr=on}} and at least 200 people. To be considered a town or a city ({{lang|fi|kaupunki}}) for statistical purposes, an urban area must have at least 15,000 people. This is not to be confused with the city / town designation used by municipalities.{{cite web|url=http://www.stat.fi/meta/kas/taajama_en.html|title=Locality – Concepts |publisher=Statistics Finland}}{{cite web|url=http://www.ymparisto.fi/fi-FI/Elinymparisto_ja_kaavoitus/Yhdyskuntarakenne/Tietoa_yhdyskuntarakenteesta/Kaupunkimaaseutu_luokitus/Alueluokkien_kuvaukset|title= Alueluokkien kuvaukset|publisher=Ymparisto }}

{{Main|Functional area (France)}}

In France, an urban area (Fr: aire d'attraction d'une ville) is a zone encompassing an area of built-up growth (called an "urban unit" (unité urbaine){{Cite web| url=http://www.insee.fr/en/metadonnees/definition/c1501|website=Definitions, methods and quality |title=Urban unit| access-date=2019-01-18|date=October 31, 2016|language=en|publisher=INSEE}} – close in definition to the North American urban area) and its commuter belt (couronne). Americans would find the INSEE definition of the urban area{{Cite web| url=http://www.insee.fr/en/metadonnees/definition/c2070|website=Definitions, methods and quality| title=Urban area|access-date=2019-01-18|date=October 31, 2016|language=en|publisher=INSEE}} to be similar to their metropolitan area.

The largest cities in France, in terms of urban area population (2017), are Paris (12,628,266), Lyon (2,323,221), Marseille (1,760,653), Toulouse (1,360,829), Bordeaux (1,247,977), Lille (1,191,117), Nice (1,006,201), Nantes (972,828), Strasbourg (790,087) and Rennes (733,320).{{cite web|url=https://www.insee.fr/fr/statistiques/4277602?sommaire=4318291|title=Tableaux de l'économie française, Édition 2020, Villes et communes de France|publisher=INSEE|access-date=11 December 2020}}

{{wide image|Tour Eiffel 360 Panorama.jpg|1420px|Panorama of Paris as seen from the Eiffel Tower as full 360-degree view (river flowing from north-east to south-west, right to left)}}

Germany has a number of large cities. The largest conurbation is the Rhine-Ruhr region (11 million {{as of|2008|alt=in 2008}}), including Düsseldorf (the capital of North Rhine-Westphalia), Cologne, Bonn, Dortmund, Essen, Duisburg, and Bochum.{{cite web|url=https://www.destatis.de/DE/Themen/Laender-Regionen/Regionales/Gemeindeverzeichnis/Administrativ-Nicht/30-verdichtungsraeume.html|title=Verdichtungsräume nach Fläche, Bevölkerung und Bevölkerungsdichte am 31.12.2017, im November 2018 wegen korrigierter Bevölkerung revidiert|year=2017|publisher=Statistisches Bundesamt|page=10|language=de|access-date=24 March 2019}}{{Clear}}

{{Largest urban agglomerations in Germany|class=}}

The Netherlands is the 30th-most densely populated country in the world, with {{convert|404.6|PD/sqkm|sigfig=4}}—or {{convert|497|PD/sqkm|sigfig=4}} if only the land area is counted. The Randstad is the country's largest conurbation located in the west of the country and contains the four largest cities: Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague, and Utrecht. The Randstad has a population of 7 million inhabitants and is the 6th largest metropolitan area in Europe.

{{Main|List of urban areas in Norway by population}}

Norway defines urban areas ("tettsteder") similarly to the other Nordic countries. Unlike in Denmark and Sweden, the distance between each building has to be of less than 50 m, although exceptions are made due to parks, industrial areas, rivers, and similar. Groups of houses less than 400 m from the main body of an urban area are included in the urban area.{{Cite web|url=http://www.ssb.no/english/subjects/02/01/10/beftett_en/ |title=Population statistics. Population and land area in urban settlements, 1 January 2008 |access-date=2009-04-17 |date=June 20, 2008 |work=Statistics Norway }}

In Poland, official "urban" population figures simply refer to those localities which have the status of towns (miasta). The "rural" population is that of all areas outside the boundaries of these towns. This distinction may give a misleading impression in some cases, since some localities with only village status may have acquired larger and denser populations than many many smaller towns{{cite web|title=Polish official population figures|url=http://www.stat.gov.pl/gus/45_655_PLK_HTML.htm}} with most excessive example of Poznań, most spread urban area of the country with population of the city app. 534 thousand and metropolitan area around 1 million inhabitants. On the other hand, the Katowice urban area with numerous large and medium cities covers 1,468 km and has above 2 million people.

The metropolitan areas in Poland are the biggest urban zones (e.g. Katowice metropolitan area, Łódź metropolitan area and Szczecin metropolitan area) and have great impact on the rural surroundings, as it is around Lublin, Radom, Kielce, Tarnów and Białystok.

File:Business Centre of Moscow 2.jpg, the capital and largest city of Russia]]

Moscow, the capital and largest city of Russia, has a population estimated at 12.4 million residents within the city limits,{{cite web|title=RUSSIA: Central'nyj Federal'nyj Okrug – Central Federal District|url=https://www.citypopulation.de/en/russia/cities/central/|publisher=City Population.de|date=August 8, 2020|access-date=September 1, 2020}} while over 17 million residents in the urban area,{{cite web|url=http://www.demographia.com/db-worldua.pdf|title=Demographia World Urban Areas|publisher=Demographia|access-date=July 22, 2020}} and over 20 million residents in the Moscow Metropolitan Area.{{cite web|url=https://strelkamag.com/en/article/moscow-agglomeration|title=A 3-Hour Commute: A Close Look At Moscow The Megapolis|work=Strelka Mag|author=Alexander Akishin|date=August 17, 2017|access-date=May 23, 2020}} It is among the world's largest cities, being the most populous city entirely within Europe, the most populous urban area in Europe, the most populous metropolitan area in Europe, and also the largest city by land area on the European continent.{{Cite web|url=https://www.planete-energies.com/en/medias/close/moscow-city-undergoing-transformation|title=Moscow, a City Undergoing Transformation|work=Planète Énergies|date=September 11, 2017|access-date=May 27, 2020}} Saint Petersburg, the cultural capital, is the second-largest city, with a population of roughly 5.4 million inhabitants.{{cite web|title=RUSSIA: Severo-Zapadnyj Federal'nyj Okrug: Northwestern Federal District|url=https://www.citypopulation.de/en/russia/cities/northwestern/|publisher=City Population.de|date=8 August 2020|access-date=October 24, 2020}} Other major urban areas are Yekaterinburg, Novosibirsk, Kazan, Nizhny Novgorod, and Chelyabinsk.

{{Largest cities of Russia}}

Spain is a very highly urbanized country. Madrid is its largest urban area. The Southern and Eastern coasts with Barcelona, Valencia and Málaga are more urbanised than the Northern and Western ones.

{{Main|List of urban areas in Sweden by population}}

Urban areas in Sweden (tätorter) are statistically defined localities, totally independent of the administrative subdivision of the country. There are 1,956 such localities in Sweden, with a population ranging from 200 to 1,372,000 inhabitants.{{Cite web|title=Fortsatt stor ökning av befolkning i tätorter|publisher=Statistics Sweden|url=http://www.scb.se/Pages/PressRelease____317009.aspx|access-date=2011-06-24|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120112062733/http://www.scb.se/Pages/PressRelease____317009.aspx|archive-date=2012-01-12}}

{{Main|List of urban areas in the United Kingdom}}

In 2013 the United Kingdom's Office for National Statistics (ONS) published 2011 Built-up Areas – Methodology and Guidance which sets out its definition of a Built-up area (BUA) as an area of built-up land of at least {{convert|20|ha|sqmi}}, separated from other settlements by at least {{convert|200|m}}. For 2011 census data there are 5,493 built-up areas, of which 501 are divided into Built-up area sub-divisions (BUASD) for which data is also available. Each built-up area is named algorithmically, using Ordnance Survey place-name data.{{cite web|title=2011 Built-up Areas – Methodology and Guidance | author = ONS Geography | publisher=Office for National Statistics | date = August 2015 | url=https://geoportal.statistics.gov.uk/documents/ons::built-up-areas-user-guidance-1/explore | archive-url=https://open-geography-portalx-ons.hub.arcgis.com/documents/ons::built-up-areas-2011-user-guidance/explore | archive-date=12 March 2024 | access-date=12 April 2024}}

The ONS has produced census results from urban areas since 1951, since 1981 based upon the extent of irreversible urban development indicated on Ordnance Survey maps. The definition is an extent of at least 20 ha and at least 1,500 census residents. Separate areas are linked if less than 200 m (220 yd) apart. Included are transportation features.[http://www.statistics.gov.uk/StatBase/ssdataset.asp?vlnk=8271&Pos=2&ColRank=1&Rank=224 KS01 Usual resident population: Census 2001, Key Statistics for urban areas]
For the OS definition of an Urban Area, see the notes tab on the Excel version. The UK has five Urban Areas with a population over a million and a further sixty nine with a population over one hundred thousand.

{{Largest Urban Areas of the United Kingdom|class=}}

The Australian Bureau of Statistics refers to urban areas as Urban Centres, which it generally defines as population clusters of 1,000 or more people.{{cite web|title=Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS)| date=23 May 2011 |url=https://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Lookup/2901.0Chapter23102011|accessdate=21 October 2021}} Australia is one of the most urbanised countries in the world, with more than 50% of the population residing in Australia's three biggest urban centres.{{Citation needed|date=October 2021}}

{{wide image|Sydney Harbour Bridge night.jpg|800px|Sydney is Australia's largest city, home to 5.3 million inhabitants.{{cite web|date=30 March 2021|title=3218.0 – Regional Population Growth, Australia, 2019–20|url=https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/people/population/regional-population/latest-release|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210330092152/https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/people/population/regional-population/latest-release|archive-date=30 March 2021|access-date=30 March 2021|publisher=Australian Bureau of Statistics}}}}

{{Largest cities

| name = Largest cities of Australia

| country = Australia

| kind = populated areas

| stat_ref = 2021 data from Australian Bureau of Statistics{{Cite web|title=Regional Population, 2021|url=https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/people/population/regional-population/latest-release|website=Australian Bureau of Statistics|date=20 April 2023 }}

| list_by_pop = List of cities in Australia by population

| div_name = State

| div_link = States and territories of Australia{{!}}State

| city_1 = Sydney

| div_1 = New South Wales{{!}}NSW

| pop_1 = 5,259,764

| img_1 = Sydney Opera house 3.jpg

| city_2 = Melbourne

| div_2 = Victoria (Australia){{!}}Vic

| pop_2 = 4,976,157

| img_2 = Melbourne city skyline from the perspective of Port Melbourne.jpg

| city_3 = Brisbane

| div_3 = Queensland{{!}}Qld

| pop_3 = 2,568,927

| img_3 = Early morning in Brisbane City seen from Kangaroo Point, September 2020, 07.jpg

| city_4 = Perth

| div_4 = Western Australia{{!}}WA

| pop_4 = 2,192,229

| img_4 = The Perth skyline in January 2016.jpg

| city_5 = Adelaide

| div_5 = South Australia{{!}}SA

| pop_5 = 1,402,393

| city_6 = Gold Coast, Queensland{{!}}Gold Coast{{))!}}–{{!((}}Tweed Heads

| div_6 = Queensland{{!}}Qld{{))!}}/{{!((}}New South Wales{{!}}NSW

| pop_6 = 706,673

| city_7 = Newcastle, New South Wales{{!}}Newcastle{{))!}}–{{!((}}Maitland, New South Wales{{!}}Maitland

| div_7 = New South Wales{{!}}NSW

| pop_7 = 509,894

| city_8 = Canberra{{))!}}–{{!((}}Queanbeyan

| div_8 = Australian Capital Territory{{!}}ACT{{))!}}/{{!((}}New South Wales{{!}}NSW

| pop_8 = 482,250

| city_9 = Sunshine Coast, Queensland{{!}}Sunshine Coast

| div_9 = Queensland{{!}}Qld

| pop_9 = 355,631

| city_10 = Wollongong

| div_10 = New South Wales{{!}}NSW

| pop_10 = 305,880

| city_11 = Geelong

| div_11 = Victoria (Australia){{!}}Vic

| pop_11 = 289,400

| city_12 = Hobart

| div_12 = Tasmania{{!}}Tas

| pop_12 = 251,047

| city_13 = Townsville

| div_13 = Queensland{{!}}Qld

| pop_13 = 181,665

| city_14 = Cairns

| div_14 = Queensland{{!}}Qld

| pop_14 = 155,638

| city_15 = Darwin, Northern Territory{{!}}Darwin

| div_15 = Northern Territory{{!}}NT

| pop_15 = 148,801

| city_16 = Toowoomba

| div_16 = Queensland{{!}}Qld

| pop_16 = 143,994

| city_17 = Ballarat

| div_17 = Victoria (Australia){{!}}Vic

| pop_17 = 111,702

| city_18 = Bendigo

| div_18 = Victoria (Australia){{!}}Vic

| pop_18 = 102,899

| city_19 = Albury-Wodonga

| div_19 = New South Wales{{!}}NSW{{))!}}/{{!((}}Victoria (Australia){{!}}Vic

| pop_19 = 97,676

| city_20 = Launceston, Tasmania{{!}}Launceston

| div_20 = Tasmania{{!}}Tas

| pop_20 = 93,332

}}

{{Main|Urban areas of New Zealand}}

Statistics New Zealand defines urban areas in New Zealand, which are independent of any administrative subdivisions and have no legal basis.{{cite web |url=http://www.stats.govt.nz/surveys_and_methods/methods/classifications-and-standards/classification-related-stats-standards/urban-area/definition.aspx |title=Urban area: Definition |publisher=Statistics New Zealand |access-date=10 December 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131113181922/http://www.stats.govt.nz/surveys_and_methods/methods/classifications-and-standards/classification-related-stats-standards/urban-area/definition.aspx |archive-date=13 November 2013 |url-status=dead |df=dmy-all }} There are four classes of urban area: major urban areas (population 100,000+), large urban areas (population 30,000–99,999), medium urban areas (population 10,000–29,999) and small urban areas (population 1,000–9,999). As of 2021, there are 7 major urban areas, 13 large urban areas, 22 medium urban areas and 136 small urban areas. Urban areas are reclassified after each New Zealand census, so population changes between censuses does not change an urban area's classification.

{{Largest cities of New Zealand}}

{{Main|List of the largest population centres in Canada}}

According to Statistics Canada, an urban area in Canada is an area with a population of at least 1,000 people where the density is no fewer than {{convert|400|/km2|/sqmi |adj=pre|persons}}.{{cite web |url= http://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2006/ref/dict/geo049-eng.cfm | title=Urban area (UA) | publisher=Statistics Canada | date=2009-11-20 | access-date=2011-01-21}} If two or more urban areas are within {{convert|2|km|mi|1|abbr=on}} of each other by road, they are merged into a single urban area, provided they do not cross census metropolitan area or census agglomeration boundaries.{{cite web | url=http://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2006/ref/dict/geo049a-eng.cfm | title=More information on Urban area (UA) | publisher=Statistics Canada | date=2009-11-20 | access-date=2011-01-21}}

In the Canada 2011 Census, Statistics Canada redesignated urban areas with the new term "population centre";[http://www.statcan.gc.ca/subjects-sujets/standard-norme/sgc-cgt/urban-urbain-eng.htm "From urban areas to population centres"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121213032942/http://www.statcan.gc.ca/subjects-sujets/standard-norme/sgc-cgt/urban-urbain-eng.htm |date=2012-12-13 }}. Statistics Canada, May 5, 2011. the new term was chosen in order to better reflect the fact that urban vs. rural is not a strict division, but rather a continuum within which several distinct settlement patterns may exist. For example, a community may fit a strictly statistical definition of an urban area, but may not be commonly thought of as "urban" because it has a smaller population, or functions socially and economically as a suburb of another urban area rather than as a self-contained urban entity, or is geographically remote from other urban communities. Accordingly, the new definition set out three distinct types of population centres: small (population 1,000 to 29,999), medium (population 30,000 to 99,999) and large (population 100,000 or greater). Despite the change in terminology, however, the demographic definition of a population centre remains unchanged from that of an urban area: a population of at least 1,000 people where the density is no fewer than 400 persons per km².

{{Largest metropolitan areas of Canada}}{{Clear}}

Mexico is one of many countries where the urbanization rate is at least 80%. Mexico City, its capital, is the largest urban area in the country.

{{Main|List of United States urban areas}}

In the United States, the Census Bureau defines urban areas and delineates urban area boundaries after each census. The Bureau defines an urban area as "a statistical geographic entity consisting of a densely settled core created from census blocks and contiguous qualifying territory that together have at least 2,000 housing units or 5,000 persons."{{cite web|url=https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2022/03/24/2022-06180/urban-area-criteria-for-the-2020-census-final-criteria|title=Urban Area Criteria for the 2020 Census-Final Criteria|date=March 24, 2022|website=Federal Register|author=United States Census Bureau}} There were 2,646 urban areas identified by the Census Bureau for 2020. 511 of these had a population of 50,000 or more.{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/geography/guidance/geo-areas/urban-rural.html |title=List of 2020 Census Urban Areas |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=December 30, 2022}}

For the 2000 and 2010 censuses, the Census Bureau differentiated between two kinds of urban areas: urbanized areas and urban clusters. The term urbanized area denoted an urban area of 50,000 or more people. Urban areas under 50,000 people were called urban clusters. Urbanized areas were first delineated in the United States in the 1950 census, while urban clusters were added in the 2000 census. The distinction between urbanized areas and urban clusters was removed for the 2020 census.

Urban areas consist of a densely-settled urban core, plus surrounding developed areas that meet certain density criteria. Since urban areas are composed of census blocks and not cities, counties, or county-equivalents, urban area boundaries may consist of partial areas of these political units. Urban areas are distinguished from rural areas: any area not part of an urban area is considered to be rural by the Census Bureau.

The largest urban area in the United States is that of New York City and its surrounding suburbs. The New York–Jersey City–Newark, NY–NJ urban area had a population of 19,426,449 as of 2020, while the larger metropolitan area had a population of 20,140,470, and the combined statistical area had a population of 23,582,649. The next five largest urban areas in the U.S. are those of Los Angeles, Chicago, Miami, Houston, and Dallas. 80.0 percent of the population of the United States lives within the boundaries of an urban area as of the 2020 census.{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2022/urban-rural-populations.html|title=Nation's Urban and Rural Populations Shift Following 2020 Census|date=December 29, 2022|website=census.gov|publisher=United States Census Bureau}}

{{Wide image|10 mile panorama of NYC, Feb., 2018.jpg|1670px|3=The skyscrapers of New York City, the most populous city in the United States and the most populous U.S. metropolitan area, are almost all situated in Manhattan, the world's largest central business district, seen here in this panorama in February 2018, as viewed from Weehawken, New Jersey.

{{flatlist|

1. Riverside Church
2. Time Warner Center
3. 220 Central Park South
4. Central Park Tower
5. One57
6. 432 Park Avenue
7. 53W53
8. Chrysler Building
9. Bank of America Tower
10. Conde Nast Building
11. The New York Times Building
12. Empire State Building
13. Manhattan West
14. {{nowrap|a: 55 Hudson Yards,}} {{nowrap|b: 35 Hudson Yards,}} {{nowrap|c: 10 Hudson Yards,}} {{nowrap|d: 15 Hudson Yards}}
15. 56 Leonard Street
16. 8 Spruce Street
17. Woolworth Building
18. 70 Pine Street
19. 30 Park Place
20. 40 Wall Street
21. Three World Trade Center
22. Four World Trade Center
23. One World Trade Center}}

|4=}}

The concept of Urbanized Areas as defined by the U.S. Census Bureau is often used as a more accurate gauge of the size of a city, since in different cities and states the lines between city borders and the urbanized area of that city are often not the same. For example, the city of Greenville, South Carolina has a city population just over 68,000 and an urbanized area population of around 400,000, while Greensboro, North Carolina has a city population just over 285,000 and an urbanized area population of around 300,000 — meaning that Greenville is actually "larger" for some intents and purposes, but not for others, such as taxation, local elections, etc.

In the U.S. Department of Agriculture's natural resources inventory, urban areas are officially known as developed areas or urban and built-up areas. Such areas include cities, ethnic villages, other built-up areas of more than 10 ac (4 ha), industrial sites, railroad yards, cemeteries, airports, golf courses, shooting ranges, institutional and public administration sites, and similar areas. The 1997 national resources inventory placed over 98,000,000 ac (40,000,000 ha) in this category, an increase of 25,000,000 ac (10,000,000 ha) since 1982.{{CRS|article = Report for Congress: Agriculture: A Glossary of Terms, Programs, and Laws, 2005 Edition|url = http://ncseonline.org/nle/crsreports/05jun/97-905.pdf|author= Jasper Womach}}

Argentina is highly urbanized.{{cite web |url= https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2212.html?countryName=Argentina&countryCode=ar®ionCode=sa&#ar |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090725144030/https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2212.html?countryName=Argentina&countryCode=AR®ionCode=sa&#ar |url-status= dead |archive-date= July 25, 2009 |title= Field listing – Urbanization |work= The World Factbook |publisher= CIA}} The ten largest metropolitan areas account for half of the population, and fewer than one in ten live in rural areas. About 3 million people live in Buenos Aires City and the Greater Buenos Aires metropolitan area totals around 15 million, making it one of the largest urban areas in the world, with a population of 18 million all up.{{cite web |url= http://www.argentina.gov.ar/argentina/portal/paginas.dhtml?pagina=1484 |title= Major Cities |publisher= Government of Argentina |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090919212817/http://www.argentina.gov.ar/argentina/portal/paginas.dhtml?pagina=1484 |archive-date= 19 September 2009 |url-status= live}}

Córdoba has around 1.5 million people living in the urban area, while Rosario, Mendoza and Tucumán have around 1.2 million inhabitants each and La Plata, Mar del Plata, Salta and Santa Fe{{cite web |url= http://turismo.municipalidad-salta.gov.ar:8081/ubicacion.aspx|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100117032939/http://turismo.municipalidad-salta.gov.ar:8081/ubicacion.aspx |archive-date= 2010-01-17 |title= Ubicación de la ciudad de salta|publisher=Directorate-General of Tourism, Municipality of the City of Salta |language=es}} have at least 500,000 people each.

{{excerpt|List of metropolitan areas in Brazil|Definitions|paragraphs=1|this=The following paragraph is}}

{{wide image|File:Skyline of São Paulo at dusk (cropped).jpg|800px|Skyline of São Paulo, the largest city in Brazil}}

{{Largest urban agglomerations in Brazil|class=}}

Chile is highly urbanized. The largest urban area in the country is its capital, Santiago.

{{colbegin}}

• Developed environments
• List of largest urban areas by continent
• New Urbanism
• Surface sealing
• Urban climatology
• Urban culture
• Urban decay
• Urban exploration
• Urban forest
• Urban forestry
• Urban green space
• Dark infrastructure
• Urban planning
• Urban prairie
• Urban reforestation
• Urban renewal
• Urban vitality
• Urbanization

{{colend}}

{{Notelist}}

{{Reflist|30em}}

• [http://unstats.un.org/unsd/demographic/sconcerns/densurb/Defintion_of%20Urban.pdf United Nations Statistics Division (UNSTAT): Definition of "urban"]
• [http://www.demographia.com/db-worldua.pdf World Urban Areas] All identified world urbanized areas 500,000+ and others: Population & Density.
• [http://arquivo.pt/wayback/20091226080929/http://www.e-geopolis.eu/ Geopolis]: research group, University of Paris-Diderot, France for world urban areas
• [http://sedac.ciesin.columbia.edu/gpw/global.jsp Gridded Population of the World] – contains links to urban area definitions and maps for over 230 countries/territories
• [http://www.citymayors.com/statistics/urban_2006_1.html City Mayors – The World's Largest Urban Areas in 2006]
• [http://www.citymayors.com/statistics/urban_2020_1.html City Mayors – The World's Largest Urban Areas Projected for 2020]
• [http://www.populationdata.net/index2.php?option=palmares&rid=4&nom=grandes-villes PopulationData – World's largest urban areas 1,000,000+ population]

{{Cities}}

{{Terms for types of country subdivisions}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:4th-millennium BC introductions

Category:Urban design

Category:Urban planning