Acrobat Reader 1. In the developed world, the most rapid urban growth took place over a century ago.
Urban growth continues, although at a much slower rate on average than in previous decades.
It is in these regions that the most explosive growth is under way, at roughly 4 percent per year. This trend is projected to continue for several decades. In some respects, the patterns of urban growth in developing countries today are not much different from what occurred a century ago in Europe and North America. And although cities of the developing world are growing at least twice as fast today as those of the developed world, these rates are not unprecedented. Because of the huge population base in developing countries, even a relatively slow rate of urban growth can mean an enormous increase in absolute numbers.