Introduction to Urban Development

Study Notes

Cities historically distinguished by larger populations, specialized economic activities, and reduced agricultural involvement.
Early cities served as centers of political, economic, and social power.
Economic factors (agrarian, merchant, capitalist, industrial) were primary drivers of urban growth.
Early cities were important sites for political change and centralized power.
They were also centers of cultural innovation and change.

Ancient cities emerged alongside the first agricultural revolution (6000-8000 years ago).
Many modern cities are relatively recent (less than 300 years old).
"City" and "civilization" share a common Latin root.
"Civilization," in this context, refers to complex socio-cultural organization with formal institutions and centralized authority.
Early cities were often located in sub-tropical, temperate, or Mediterranean climates, near fertile soil, water sources, and defensible elevated land.
Technological innovation was crucial, including increased agricultural production, irrigation systems, food transportation and storage, and building technologies for fortifications and monumental structures.
Social organization and power structures were necessary to regulate city life. Elites controlled resources and other social groups.
Early cities functioned economically as centers for extraction and redistribution of resources from the surrounding countryside to the urban population.

No single cause explains the origins of cities; multiple theories exist.
Agricultural Surplus Theory: Food surplus led to social surplus, division of labor, increased social organization, centralized authority, and early forms of taxation or labor obligations.
Religious Theory: Religion played a role in developing social power, with temples as prominent features, elites holding religious and political authority, and the emergence of a priestly class leading to theocracy.
Defensive Needs Theory: Fortification (city walls) was common, leading to a military class for protection of resources.
Trading Requirements Theory: Complex culture led to economic complexity and trade. Trade created marketplaces forming the basis for new cities, leading to economic intensification and diversification, and the emergence of a merchant class.

Some scholars believe cities developed independently in different regions.
Others argue for diffusion from a single origin or hearth.
Some of the earliest cities were in Mesopotamia (the birthplace of the agricultural revolution).
Sumer (Southern Mesopotamia) had some of the earliest cities (around 4750 B.C.).
Other important early urban centers include the Nile River Valley, Yellow River Valley, West Africa, and Mesoamerica.
Later, large empires (Roman, Han/Tang in China, Islamic) spurred further growth of large cities.