At the beginning of this century only 12% of the world's population lived in urban areas. Half-way through the century that number increased to 30% percent and will reach 50% as we enter the next Century. By 2005, for the first time in the history of the world, more people will live in and around cities than in rural areas. Less than 25 years after that, urban populations will be twice that of rural areas. The impact of those demographic milestones on poverty and unemployment and the quality of life should not be underestimated. Today, the World Bank estimates that close to 25% of the urban population in developing nations live in absolute poverty - approximately 330 million people or the equivalent of the total populations of Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, and the UK combined. By the end of this decade over half the poor populations in developing nations will be living in urban areas.
             According to an unpublished UNICEF report, 90 percent of the poor in Latin America will live in urban areas, with 40% in Africa and 45% in Asia. UNICEF estimates that by the year 2000, 74.3 million households will live in poverty as compared to 33.5 million households in 1975 - a 220% increase. In 1960 the ratio of the richest 20% to the poorest was 30: 1; today it is 60:1 with 25% of the world's population controlling in excess of 85% of the world's industries and consuming 80% of its energy supplies.
             This is the numerical face. The reality is hunger, malnutrition, starvation, health and sanitation problems, sickness, homelessness, and growing numbers of frightened refugees. Alienation and anger follow very quickly.
             Today, there is growing recognition that development and human needs are integrally connected. Manfred Max-Neef and other South American urbanists argue that poverty must be understood in a different way. Traditional concepts of poverty are limited, and usually refer only to i...