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A city is a human settlement of a notable size. The term "city" has different meanings around the world and in some places the settlement can be very small. Even where the term is limited to larger settlements, there is no universally agreed definition of the lower boundary for their size. In a more narrow sense, a city can be defined as a permanent and densely settled place with administratively defined boundaries whose members work primarily on non-agricultural tasks. Cities generally have extensive systems for housing, transportation, sanitation, utilities, land use, production of goods, and communication. Their density facilitates interaction between people, government organizations, and businesses, sometimes benefiting different parties in the process, such as improving the efficiency of goods and service distribution.

Historically, city dwellers have been a small proportion of humanity overall, but following two centuries of unprecedented and rapid urbanization, more than half of the world population now lives in cities, which has had profound consequences for global sustainability. Present-day cities usually form the core of larger metropolitan areas and urban areas—creating numerous commuters traveling toward city centres for employment, entertainment, and education. However, in a world of intensifying globalization, all cities are to varying degrees also connected globally beyond these regions. This increased influence means that cities also have significant influences on global issues, such as sustainable development, climate change, and global health. Because of these major influences on global issues, the international community has prioritized investment in sustainable cities through Sustainable Development Goal 11. Due to the efficiency of transportation and the smaller land consumption, dense cities hold the potential to have a smaller ecological footprint per inhabitant than more sparsely populated areas. Therefore, compact cities are often referred to as a crucial element in fighting climate change. However, this concentration can also have significant negative consequences, such as forming urban heat islands, concentrating pollution, and stressing water supplies and other resources. (Full article...)

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View of Pompeii and Mount Vesuvius

Pompeii (/pɒmˈpeɪ(i)/ pom-PAY-(ee), Latin: [pɔmˈpei̯.iː]) was an ancient city in what is now the comune (municipality) of Pompei, near Naples, in the Campania region of Italy. Along with Herculaneum, Stabiae, and many surrounding villas, the city was buried under 4 to 6 m (13 to 20 ft) of volcanic ash and pumice in the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD.

Largely preserved under the ash, Pompeii offers a unique snapshot of Roman life, frozen at the moment it was buried, as well as insight into ancient urban planning. It was a wealthy town of 10,000 to 20,000 residents at the time it was destroyed. It hosted many fine public buildings and luxurious private houses with lavish decorations, furnishings and artworks, which were the main attractions for early excavators; subsequent excavations have found hundreds of private homes and businesses reflecting various architectural styles and social classes, as well as numerous public buildings. Organic remains, including wooden objects and human bodies, were interred in the ash; their eventual decay allowed archaeologists to create moulds of figures in their final moments of life. The numerous graffiti carved on outside walls and inside rooms provide a wealth of examples of the largely lost Vulgar Latin spoken colloquially at the time, contrasting with the formal language of classical writers. (Full article...)

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... that the steel-framed Church Missions House in New York City predates the city's first steel skyscraper?
... that when the 18-year-old New York City Ballet dancer Mira Nadon performed her first major role, The New York Times called her performance a promise to the future?
... that New York City's St. Patrick's Cathedral, praised upon completion as the "finest church edifice on the American continent", was funded mostly by poor Irish Catholic parishioners?
... that the owners of New York City's Grand Prospect Hall produced and starred in cheaply shot commercials, parodied on Jimmy Kimmel Live! and Saturday Night Live?
... that New York City's James B. Duke House was modeled after a French chateau and designed by an architect who did not have a formal architectural education?
... that in 1987, an estimated one-sixth of New York City's homeless children lived at the Martinique Hotel, even though it lacked basic facilities like kitchens?

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Downtown Albany skyline from Rensselaer

Albany (/ˈɔːlbəni/ ^ⓘ AWL-bə-nee) is the capital and oldest city in the U.S. state of New York and the seat of and the most populous city in the county of the same name. It is located on the west bank of the Hudson River, about 10 miles (16 km) south of its confluence with the Mohawk River, 135 miles (220 km) north of New York City, 170 miles (270 km) west of Boston, and about 220 miles (350 km) south of Montreal.

The city is known for its architecture, commerce, culture, institutions of higher education, and rich history. It is the economic and cultural core of the Capital District of the State of New York, which comprises the Albany–Schenectady–Troy Metropolitan Statistical Area, including the nearby cities and suburbs of Troy, Schenectady, and Saratoga Springs. With an estimated population of 1.1 million in 2013, the Capital District is the third most populous metropolitan region in the state. As of 2022, Albany's population was 100,826. (Full article...)

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"Keep Portland Weird" is a popular slogan that appears on bumper stickers, signs, and public buildings throughout Portland, Oregon and its surrounding metro area. It originated from the "Keep Austin Weird" slogan and was originally intended to promote local businesses, though it has since evolved into an all-encompassing slogan that secondarily promotes individuality, expressionism, local art, as well as atypical lifestyle choices and leisure activities. The slogan frequently inspires articles and debate that attempt to quantify the exact level to which Portland is considered weird, unusual or eccentric.

The slogan has been called the unofficial motto of Portland, as well as the informal mantra of the city's residents. (Full article...)

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Image 1Daily life of people from the Song period at the capital, Bianjing, today's Kaifeng (from History of cities)
Image 2This woodcut shows Nuremberg as a prototype of a flourishing and independent city in the 15th century. (from History of cities)
Image 3Excavated foundations of Çatalhöyük, Turkey. An Anatolian town dated to 7000 BCE. (from History of cities)
Image 4A poster from the EPA entitled "Soak Up the Rain with Green Infrastructure." The poster depicts various green infrastructure that can be effective in preventing floods. (from Urban geography)
Image 5New York City, one of the largest urban areas in the world (from Urban geography)
Image 6Cain founding the city of Enoch (from History of cities)
Image 7Constantinople, the largest and wealthiest city in Europe from the 9th through the 12th century (from History of cities)
Image 8The Round city of Baghdad, the capital of Iraq (from History of cities)
Image 9The city of Arbil in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq has a radial urban structure centred on an ancient fortress (from Urban structure)
Image 10Glasgow slum in 1871 (from History of cities)
Image 11View of the Agora of Athens with the temple of Hephaestus to the left and the Stoa of Attalos to the right (from History of cities)
Image 12A map showing the world energy consumption per capita based on 2013 data from the World Bank. (from Urban geography)
Image 13Gdańsk in the 17th century (from History of cities)
Image 14Mohenjo-daro, a World Heritage Site that was part of the Indus Valley civilization (from History of cities)
Image 15The Avenue of the Dead in Teotihuacan originates with the Pyramid of the Moon, forming the basis of the city grid. (from History of cities)
Image 16Aerial photograph shows the remains of the Sumerian city Ur, near Nasiriyah, Iraq. (from History of cities)
Image 17Extent and major sites of the Indus Valley civilization of ancient India (from History of cities)
Image 18The "Great Colonnade" marks the cardo maximus of Apamea, Syria. (from History of cities)
Image 19Palmanova, Italy, constructed in 1593 according to the defensive ideal of the star fort, today retains its distinctive geometry. (from History of cities)

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