Source: Worldwatch report "State of the World 2007: Our Urban Future," reported in "World first: In 2008, most people will live in cities," Brad Knickerbocker, Christian Science Monitor 11 Jan 2007

 

More from the Monitor story:

 

"Eight of the 10 most populous cities are on or near earthquake faults. Some two-thirds of the cities projected to exceed 8 million residents by 2015 are in coastal areas where sea levels may rise as a result of climate change."

 

"Of the 3 billion people who live in cities today, about 1 billion are in slums without clean water, adequate toilet facilities, or durable housing. Some 1.6 million urban dwellers - many if not most of them children - die each year due to causes associated with the lack of clean water and sanitation."

 

From the Worldwatch release:

 

"Africa now has 350 million urban dwellers, more than the populations of Canada and the United States combined. Asia and Africa are expected to double their urban populations to roughly 3.4 billion by 2030"

 

"An estimated 800 million people are involved in urban farming worldwide."