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Constantinople is a prime example of a much larger pattern in human history, the importance of cities. From the very first complex civilization that arose in the Sumerian city of Ur, every great civilization in history has had a city at the heart of it (e.g. Babylon, Alexandria, Rome, Tenochtitlan, Angkor Wat, etc...). And cities are still the economic, cultural, and administrative centers of today's world (e.g. New York, Washington D.C., Mumbai, Tokyo, London, Paris, Hong Kong, Moscow, etc..). The same is true of Alaska, where over half of the whole state lives in Anchorage, the economic and cultural center of the state.
Hong Kong
However, if you think about it cities are difficult places. They are often expensive, over-crowded, congested, hard to navigate, and dangerous. So why are they so important? Cities provide a central place for people from all over a region (or the world) to come together to meet, interact, trade, create, and share diverse ideas. They become the centers of cultural, economic, and governmental networks. They provide a focusing point for wealth, resources, and talented people which leads to discovery, innovation, and economic growth. Innovation occurs best when different people working on different things collide in unexpected ways to create something new, something that is most likely to occur in the density and diversity of cities. Today the world's 40 largest urban areas (while only housing 18% of the world's population) produce 2/3 of the world's economic output and 90% of its innovation. It has been said that cities are the greatest human invention. This is because without the unique conditions they provide, much of human achievement would not have been possible.
And cities are increasingly becoming the place where humans live. 200 years ago only 3% of the world's population lived in cities. 100 years ago it was just 14%. With advancements in food production, transportation, and communication, today more than half of the world's population lives in cities. By 2050, it is estimated that 70% of the world's population will live in urban areas.
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