October 31st is World Cities Day, designated by the UN General Assembly. It is an opportunity to duck round the pumpkins and promote the international community’s interest in global urbanisation, push forward cooperation among countries in addressing the challenges of urbanisation and contribute to sustainable urban development around the world. The World Health Organisation joins the UN in observing this day recognising health and well-being as an integral part of sustainable and inclusive urbanisation. Urban health is an area that requires tackling the triple key public health concerns of non- communicable diseases, infectious diseases and injuries/inter-personal violence prevalent in cities.
Why choose this day out of the 365 days of the year? David Harvey was born on this day in 1935 and he studied how cities evolve. When they grow, environmental resources shift unevenly across communities. He emphasised that cities historically emerge from the concentration of surplus products. Under capitalism, he suggests that this surplus is controlled by a minority, making urbanisation a class phenomenon.
This interested me as I have just been reading about the Tower of Babel in Genesis – the first mention of a city in the Bible. The story primarily symbolises human pride, the attempt to achieve greatness apart from God and, as a side effect, explains the origin of diverse human languages.
This doesn’t mean that all cities are disadvantageous. Urbanisation may enhance economic opportunities, access to essential services, technological progress, social cohesion, and resource efficiency, making cities dynamic centres of growth and innovation. It’s human pride and self-glorification, seeking independence from God and attempting to secure greatness for themselves that God takes issue with.
On this World Cities Day, may we thank God for the diversity and magnificence of the cities of our world. May we celebrate the economic opportunities, technology, essential services and resource efficiency they promote. May we pray for greater social cohesion and that individuals won’t be lost or hidden in the enormity of the estates Most importantly, that God will be glorified and the people living there will recognise His greatness.