The Dynamics of Cities: Ecological Determinism, Dualism and ChaosThe twentieth century has seen an increase in the globe's human population from approximately 1.6 billion in 1900 to about 5 billion in 1987. Accompanying this event has been a considerable growth in the population of the world's largest cities. In The Dynamics of Cities the author addresses fundamental issues in population growth and decline and develops a macrodynamic theory of the interdependent evolution of the world's mega-cities. Dimitrios Dendrinos, an expert in the application of non-linear dynamics and chaos theory to the subject of urban and regional dynamics, focuses here on urban population and per capita income dynamics, linking these to the recently developed theory of chaos. He approaches the topic of urban growth and decline in a global systems perspective, viewing the rise and fall of cities, industries and nations as the result of global interdependencies which lead to unstable dynamics and widespread dualisms. Drawing on specific empirical evidence on the growth and decline of the world's largest cities over the past 30 years he considers possible futures open to the giant cities of the world. The Dynamics of Cities provides new insights into the evolution of human settlements, suggesting that the growth and decline of present-day urban agglomerations, as well as the cities of the past, have been guided by simple, general and powerful macrodynamic processes. The author concludes that instability is the central ingredient of urban evolution on the global scale and that the future of the world's largest cities, particularly those in the Third World, is bleak. |
Other editions - View all
The Dynamics of Cities: Ecological Determinism, Dualism and Chaos Dimitrios Dendrinos Limited preview - 2002 |
The Dynamics of Cities: Ecological Determinism, Dualism and Chaos Dimitrios S. Dendrinos No preview available - 1992 |
The Dynamics of Cities: Ecological Determinism, Dualism and Chaos Dimitrios Dendrinos No preview available - 2014 |
Common terms and phrases
absolute agents aggregate analysis arbitrage attraction bundle capita income capita product carrying capacity central changes chaotic commodities comparative advantages components composite constraints cycles demographic Dendrinos differentials disaggregation distribution dominant dualism dynamic equilibrium dynamic instability ecological determinism economic growth effects equilibrium example factors flows forces foreign trade framework fuzzy global gross domestic product growth or decline growth rates individual and collective industrial informal currency interactions interdependencies isocline labor largest urban agglomerations LDCs linkages locations macroeconomics macrovariables markets mathematical ecology MDCs metropolitan areas Mexico City motion nations neoclassical economic non-linear observer options outcome output particular perceived percent period phase portrait point in space-time political population growth preference functions prevailing primate cities qualitative reference relative parity relative population sectors social events social science socio-economic spatio-temporal specific stocks supply Table technological theory time-period urban agglomerations urban areas urban macrodynamics variables various wealth worldwide