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Radio Free EuropeJune 27, 2007 (RFE/RL) -- Anybody looking out over any of the world's megacities might have doubts about the viability of mankind as an urban creature.
The crowding, the pollution, the poverty, the elitism seem to be universal factors in the city scene whether in India's Mumbai, Brazil's Sao Paulo, or Turkey's Istanbul.
But like it or not, man's future lies in ever-growing conurbations, according to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). In a report issued today, the fund says that for the first time in history, the number of people living in cities will exceed the world's rural population by 2008.
That accounts for some 3.3 billion people living in cities. But the UNFPA says the trend will accelerate with breathtaking speed, and that in less than 25 years the number will grow to 5 billion.
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