Jean-Marie Huriot

An Economic Definition of the City

Cities are a universal phenomenon which first appeared at several points around the planet after the Neolithic revolution (Bairoch, 1985) before spreading worldwide, growing and changing. The city-states of the ancient world, the fortified cities of the Middle Ages, the industrial cities of the 19th century and the world metropolises of the end of this millennium with their immense diversity of shape, function and development, all go by the name of city. But just what are these cities that so attract people, that fascinate and frighten, that bring progress but also nuisances, that nowadays group together the greater proportion of the world’s population and the bulk of economic and cultural output? Beyond the simple fact that human societies have become urbanized, and because of the very scope and diversity of the process, there is a need for theoretical reflection if we want to understand and master the city. But understanding the city means identifying it first.