A new FAO study uncovers the vital role mid-sized cities play in connecting rural and urban areas, offering transformative insights for sustainable development and improved rural livelihoods.
An innovative global study has revealed the profound connections between rural livelihoods and urban centers, emphasizing the pivotal role of mid-sized cities in enhancing food security, agricultural livelihoods and sustainable rural development. The research, carried out by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and other institutions, uses a sophisticated dataset to map out these relationships, offering crucial insights for policymakers and planners.
According to the study, published in the journal Nature Cities, approximately two-thirds of the world’s population — over 5 billion people — live within one hour of travel from an urban center with a population of at least 250,000. Moreover, about half of these individuals have access to more than one urban center, often relying on smaller, nearby cities for essential services.
“Our approach represents the first systematic worldwide delineation of city-regions across multiple urban tiers,” Andrea Cattaneo, the study’s lead author and a senior economist at FAO, said in a news release. “This unprecedented dataset offers a powerful tool for understanding how societies are organized around urban centers, unlocking new insights for sustainable development strategies.”
The study’s findings challenge the traditional focus on large metropolitan areas, revealing that smaller cities are more effective in engaging local populations. In fact, nearly three times as many people are either based in or have easier access to urban centers with populations under one million compared to larger metro areas.
The dataset, which aggregates 219 million land-based locations into 130,000 territorial “patches,” provides a nuanced understanding of spatial patterns impacting rural livelihoods. This comprehensive approach, spanning 213 countries and territories, enables more detailed territorial planning, particularly in regions where such data was previously unavailable.
“Delineating city–regions by assembling the patches was akin to completing a gigantic puzzle,” added Cattaneo. This meticulous work is crucial for addressing today’s challenges, including commuting, climate change and the efficient management of natural resources.
The findings emphasize that comprehensive planning is essential for energy-efficient and equitable transportation and other key services, such as full-spectrum hospitals, international airports, cultural institutions, supermarkets and employment opportunities. Moreover, this approach can significantly benefit urban residents by facilitating outdoor activities and potentially creating tourism-related jobs in rural areas.
Some of the countries with the highest shares of population living within an hour of multiple urban centers include Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, China, Nigeria and various South Asian nations. Conversely, regions like Madagascar, South Sudan and Zimbabwe face significant challenges, with over half their populations living more than an hour away from any urban center.
This groundbreaking research offers a new lens for understanding and improving the dynamic interactions between urban and rural areas, driving more effective and inclusive sustainable development strategies.