Daily Blog: A Century for all Cities

Splashed across the cover of the March 2009 issue of National Geographic Traveler are the words, "The Magic of the City--Celebrating the Urban Places That Captivate Us."

Inside, the story begins "Welcome to the Century of the City." Nine years into this century we are reminded that in the year 2000 we were told that for the first time in history the majority of the world's population is urban rather than rural. And the urban growth is increasing rapidly. In the article, editor Keith Bellows predicts "within six years New York will no longer be among the world's five largest cities, which will likely be Tokyo, Dhaka, Mumbai, Sao Paulo, and Delhi."

While the big cities get most of the press and the headlines, a very important reminder was encapsulated in the next sentence--"A great city, though, isn't defined by size."

Quantity doesn't--and never has--defined quality. There is much to say about the more than 14,000 four-and five-figure cities of America and thousands more around the world.

After all, Bellows writes, "Tenney, Minnesota, with only five inhabitants is technically classified as a city."