The City as History

Cities as both organising forces and habitats characterise human development. According to the United Nations Human Settlements Programme’s State of the World’s Cities 2008/2009 - Harmonious Cities, half of humanity now lives in cities, and within two decades, it will soar to nearly 60 per cent. Cities also facilitate the emergence of religions, beliefs, culture, and global capitalism.

The Time magazine recently juxtaposed Hong Kong with two global metropolises, New YorkandLondon, which share various key features such as cultural and ethnic diversity, and furthermore coined the debatable term Nylonkong (New York-London-Hong Kong) to showcase the global financial network underpinned.

It amply reveals that city life and experience has been a global phenomenon and, therefore, a critical understanding of the cultural, social, religious, and environmental aspects of cities and between their inhabitants becomes of paramount importance.