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方向：城市化被联合国称为四大“人口大趋势”之一，与人口增长、老龄化和国际移民并列（联合国经济和社会事务部，2019 年）。城市化会带来生产力的增长吗？从什么意义上说，城市生活比农村生活更环保？城市生活如何鼓励创新？阅读本文，您可能会对城市化的好处有所了解。
Urbanization is called one of the four "demographic mega-trends" by the United Nations, along with population growth, aging, and international migration (UNDESA, 2019). Does urbanization bring a growth in productivity? In what sense is urban life more environmentally friendly than rural life? How does urban life encourage innovation? Read the text and you may gain some insights into the benefits of urbanization.
方向：城市化被联合国称为四大“人口大趋势”之一，与人口增长、老龄化和国际移民并列（联合国经济和社会事务部，2019 年）。城市化会带来生产力的增长吗？从什么意义上说，城市生活比农村生活更环保？城市生活如何鼓励创新？阅读本文，您可能会对城市化的好处有所了解。
The benefits of urbanization
城市化的好处
1 In 1950, the percentage of the world's population living in urban areas was 30%. By 2014, the figure had increased to 54% and it is predicted that, by 2050, two-thirds of us will be living in cities (World Urbanization Prospects, 2014). This means that in just 100 years, the number of urban dwellers will have more than doubled. The overwhelming majority of this urbanization is expected to occur in Asia and Africa, as people migrate to find work and housing, and gain improved access to healthcare and education. London went from a population of one million to eight million in over a century. Some Asian cities have done so in 50 years or less. While many are concerned that this surge in urban populations will lead to housing shortages and increased competition for employment, there are arguably many significant benefits in terms of development. In fact, history has shown that notable developments in a country cannot take place without urbanization. This essay will therefore argue that urbanization in developing countries should be actively encouraged. 城市化的好处
1 1950年，世界人口中城市人口的比例为30%。到 2014 年，这一数字已增加到 54%，预计到 2050 年，三分之二的人口将生活在城市（World Urbanization Prospects，2014）。这意味着在短短100年内，城市居民的数量将增加一倍以上。预计这种城市化的绝大多数将发生在亚洲和非洲，因为人们为了寻找工作和住房而移民，并获得更好的医疗保健和教育机会。伦敦人口在一个多世纪内从100万增加到800万。一些亚洲城市在50年或更短的时间内就做到了这一点。虽然许多人担心城市人口的激增将导致住房短缺和就业竞争加剧，但可以说，在发展方面有许多重大好处。事实上，历史已经表明，一个国家没有城市化就不可能取得显著的发展。因此，本文将论证应积极鼓励发展中国家的城市化。2 Perhaps the biggest benefit of urbanization is a growth in productivity. Rosenthal and Strange (2004) estimated that cities can increase productivity by approximately 3%–8% if they double their population size—a significant number. This increase arises through economies of scale, as the growth in labor in the city allows firms to produce more output while their fixed costs remain largely the same. Essentially, more products are made with fewer resources. Transportation is also a key factor as firms are able to connect more easily and cheaply with each other when they are concentrated in clusters. These agglomeration economies, as they are known, are catalysts of economic growth.
2 也许城市化的最大好处是生产力的提高。罗森塔尔和斯特兰奇（2004）估计，如果城市人口规模增加一倍，生产率可以提高约3%-8%，这是一个相当大的数字。这种增长是通过规模经济产生的，因为城市劳动力的增长使企业能够生产更多的产出，而其固定成本基本保持不变。从本质上讲，用更少的资源制造更多的产品。交通也是一个关键因素，因为当企业集中在集群中时，它们能够更容易、更便宜地相互连接。众所周知，这些集聚经济体是经济增长的催化剂。3 Another benefit of urbanization is, perhaps surprisingly, related to the environment. While this may seem counterintuitive, urban life is actually more environmentally friendly than rural life. Urban dwellers use notably less energy and fewer resources than those who live in rural areas. Buildings require less electrical heating than those in more remote places due to typically higher temperatures in urban areas and buildings which lock those temperatures in. Utility services can be offered more easily and affordably as people live in close proximity to each other. Similarly, public transportation is more viable in urban areas. It can be provided at a lower cost to a larger number of people and is more sustainable than private transportation. Public transportation has been proven to use less fuel for every passenger kilometer compared to private transportation (Chester et al., 2010). The more public transportation is used, the smaller a city's carbon footprint. In addition to this, when urban dwellers live close to their workplace and other important facilities including schools, hospitals, and shops, there is a greater tendency towards the use of non-polluting forms of transportation, such as bicycles. This contributes to the reduction of a city's carbon footprint even further, as well as the reduction of traffic congestion.
3 城市化的另一个好处也许令人惊讶地与环境有关。虽然这似乎有悖常理，但城市生活实际上比农村生活更环保。与农村地区居民相比，城市居民使用的能源和资源明显更少。与偏远地区的建筑物相比，建筑物需要更少的电加热，因为城市地区的温度通常较高，并且建筑物会锁定这些温度。由于人们住得很近，因此可以更轻松、更实惠地提供公用事业服务。同样，公共交通在城市地区更可行。它可以以较低的成本提供给更多的人，并且比私人交通更具可持续性。事实证明，与私人交通工具相比，公共交通每乘客公里使用的燃料更少（Chester 等人，2010 年）。公共交通的使用越多，城市的碳足迹就越小。除此之外，当城市居民住在靠近工作场所和其他重要设施（包括学校、医院和商店）的地方时，使用自行车等无污染交通工具的趋势更大。这有助于进一步减少城市的碳足迹，并减少交通拥堵。4 The final key advantage of urbanization is an increase in innovation. Areas of high density are known to inspire residents, entrepreneurs, and businesses to innovate more as they strive to enhance urban life. This includes local residents who work together to create better spaces for themselves and their communities, often regenerating neglected areas. Entrepreneurs look to invest in new technological innovations that create a greener environment by reducing carbon emissions, improving air quality, or developing more advanced, eco-friendly transportation systems. People within businesses innovate to improve systems or create new products with a view to both improving people's lives and making a larger profit. The sharing economy is one example of innovation that can be profitable and beneficial to people's lives and the environment. There are now companies which encourage people to share homes when they are not using them, share cars so they do not have to own one, and donate unwanted goods to those in need of them. Some local governments have schemes that allow private individuals or companies to use their facilities when empty (e.g. a school gym), to reduce spare capacity as much as possible.
4 城市化的最后一个关键优势是创新的增加。众所周知，高密度区域会激发居民、企业家和企业在努力改善城市生活的同时进行更多创新。这包括当地居民共同努力，为自己和社区创造更好的空间，经常重建被忽视的地区。企业家希望投资于新的技术创新，通过减少碳排放、改善空气质量或开发更先进、更环保的交通系统来创造更绿色的环境。企业内部的人们通过创新来改进系统或创造新产品，以期改善人们的生活并赚取更大的利润。共享经济是创新的一个例子，它可以盈利并有益于人们的生活和环境。现在有些公司鼓励人们在不使用房屋时共享房屋，共享汽车，这样他们就不必拥有汽车，并将不需要的物品捐赠给需要它们的人。一些地方政府制定了计划，允许私人或公司在空置时使用其设施（例如学校体育馆），以尽可能减少闲置容量。5 To conclude, while urbanization in substantial numbers may bring challenges, it also provides significant opportunities. Increased productivity, greater innovation, and the ability to reduce our impact on the environment are three such cases in point. As no country has ever reached middle or high income status without urbanization, it is evident that urbanization must be encouraged to allow developing countries the opportunity to derive the same benefits as developed countries, i.e. an improved standard of living. Urbanization results in progress and a decrease in poverty levels (Global Monitoring Report, 2013). Through higher productivity, people will receive higher wages and housing will become more affordable. Governments will be able to collect more taxation and therefore afford to provide better education and healthcare. Social mobility will increase for all; something that no one can deny is a desirable goal.
5 总而言之，虽然大量城市化可能带来挑战，但也提供了重大机遇。提高生产力、加强创新以及减少对环境影响的能力就是其中的三个例子。由于没有一个国家没有城市化就达到中等或高收入水平，显然必须鼓励城市化，使发展中国家有机会获得与发达国家相同的利益，即提高生活水平。城市化带来了进步和贫困水平的降低（《全球监测报告》，2013）。通过提高生产力，人们将获得更高的工资，住房将变得更加负担得起。政府将能够征收更多的税款，从而有能力提供更好的教育和医疗保健。所有人的社会流动性将增加;没有人可以否认的是一个理想的目标。
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