The population pressures will be enormous. Development experts estimate that by 2020, more than two thirds of people in Asia will live in urban centers. And half of city dwellers will be poor, experts say. That is if urban life is allowed to be synonymous with sprawling slums, traffic congestion, deteriorating municipal services and choking pollution. In India, the Center for Science and the Environment estimates that there is one premature death per hour in New Delhi due to dirty air, mainly from motor vehicles.
Affluence offers no protection.
At its worst, the air quality in Hong Kong has been compared to that in Mexico City. Competition between cities for capital and talent is keener than ever, both within a country and worldwide. That's why urban governments need to rethink their positions. With globalization, it is no longer possible for inefficient cities to hide behind national boundaries. The challenge is not just providing sanitation and keeping streets clean, though many civic authorities cannot fulfil even those requirements.