megacities
Massive population centers
Megacities are metropolitan areas with populations exceeding ten million.
The term emerged as urbanization accelerated in the late twentieth century, with cities like Tokyo, Mumbai, and São Paulo growing to unprecedented scale.
Megacities present distinctive challenges: infrastructure strain, pollution, housing shortages, and governance complexity.
By 2030, the world will have over forty megacities.
Underground transit passage
- metroUrban rail transit
- highriseMultistory urban building
- skyscrapersExtremely tall urban buildings
- highwaysMajor intercity roads
bridges · airports · seaports · utilities · sewerage · public-transit · expressways · tunnels
Environmental harm from waste
- trafficMovement along routes
- congestionExcessive accumulation causing blockage
- smogSunlight-activated urban pollution
- overcrowdingCapacity exceeded dangerously
noise · crime · inequality · homelessness · gridlock · poverty · displacement · gentrification
Numbers in seven figures
- populousDensely settled with people
- teemingAbundantly full of
- overcrowdedFilled beyond capacity
- densityMass-to-volume ratio
congestion · multitude · colossal · vast · enormous · sprawling · expansive · booming
Of residential outskirts
- exurbsCommunities beyond suburbs
- peripheralExternal computer add-on
- unplannedNot arranged beforehand
- zoningSectioning areas by use
outspread · conurbation · peri-urban · shantytown · favela · slum · greenfield · brownfield
Including multiple ethnic traditions
- diversityState of varied elements
- expatriatesPeople living outside homeland
- melting-potFusion of diverse cultures
- polyglotOne knowing many languages
international · cross-cultural · diaspora · immigrants · Chinatown · Koreatown · multilingual · transnational
Central business district
- skylineUrban profile against atmosphere
- plazaPublic open square
- boulevardBroad, tree-lined street
- avenueBroad urban roadway
waterfront · Shibuya · monuments · CBD
Using newest innovations
- hyperloopSealed tube transport system
- sensorsDevices that detect input
- IoTInterconnected smart device ecosystem
- sustainableAble to endure long-term
Of city government
- mayorElected head of municipality
- councilAdvisory deliberative group
- civicPertaining to community affairs
- boroughAdministrative town or district
precinct · district · planning · administration · taxation · bureaucracy · alderman · ordinances
subway
Underground transit passage
- metroUrban rail transit
- highriseMultistory urban building
- skyscrapersExtremely tall urban buildings
highways · bridges · airports · seaports · utilities · sewerage · public-transit · expressways · tunnels · overpasses
pollution
Environmental harm from waste
- trafficMovement along routes
- congestionExcessive accumulation causing blockage
- smogSunlight-activated urban pollution
overcrowding · noise · crime · inequality · homelessness · gridlock · poverty · displacement · gentrification · affordability
millions
Numbers in seven figures
- populousDensely settled with people
- teemingAbundantly full of
- overcrowdedFilled beyond capacity
density · congestion · multitude · colossal · vast · enormous · sprawling · expansive · booming · growth
suburban
Of residential outskirts
- exurbsCommunities beyond suburbs
- peripheralExternal computer add-on
- unplannedNot arranged beforehand
zoning · outspread · conurbation · peri-urban · shantytown · favela · slum · greenfield · brownfield
multicultural
Including multiple ethnic traditions
- diversityState of varied elements
- expatriatesPeople living outside homeland
- melting-potFusion of diverse cultures
polyglot · international · cross-cultural · diaspora · immigrants · Chinatown · Koreatown · multilingual · transnational
downtown
Central business district
avenue · waterfront · Shibuya · monuments · CBD
high-tech
Using newest innovations
municipal
Of city government
- mayorElected head of municipality
- councilAdvisory deliberative group
- civicPertaining to community affairs
borough · precinct · district · planning · administration · taxation · bureaucracy · alderman · ordinances · permits
- citiesParis, London, Tokyo, New York, Los Angeles
- East AsiaChina, Japan, South Korea, North Korea, Korea
- human geographycultural landscape, demographics, migration, demography, urbanization
- urban developmenturban development, sprawl, urban policy, zoning, annexation
- Futurismjetpacks, holograms, robots, androids, cyborgs
- overpopulationpopulation growth, population boom, overcrowding, crowding, carrying capacity
megacitiesvillages
Small rural settlements
hamlets · small towns · rural villages · settlements · outposts
megacitiescountryside
Rural area beyond towns
rural areas · farmland · hinterlands · backwoods · the sticks
megacitieswilderness
Uncultivated, uninhabited natural region
ghost towns · empty spaces · isolated communities · wastelands · no man's land
city, mega, cities, metropolis, metropolitan, megastore, megacity, megachurch, mega-