1. Developing a global, people-based definition of cities and settlements
By Lewis Dijkstra
Deputy Head of Unit
Policy Development and Economic Analysis Unit,
DG Regional and Urban Policy
European Commission 1

2. Who committed to develop this?
The European Union together with the OECD and the World Bank launched this commitment during Habitat III in Quito in 2016
FAO has joined this commitment
Goal: present a definition to UN Statistical Commission in 2019
Approach test two definitions:
Degree of urbanisation
EU-OECD functional urban area
Interim results at World Urban Forum 2018

3. Two definitions with a common element: Cities
Creates a functional economic area
Cities
Towns & suburbs
Rural areas
Commuting zones
Other areas
Population grid based

4. Work outside the EU & OECD
Applied to the globe at the grid level
Cities Report
Atlas of the Human Planet
Pilots with individual countries Brazil, Morocco, South Africa…
Grid + municipal level
Using better national data

5. Creating a global population grid
Census data
on population
Share of area covered by buildings based on satellite imagery
Total population by 1km grid cell + =
Source: JRC GHSL
Source: CIESIN,
Columbia University
Source: JRC GHS Pop

7. Per continent, we find big differences
Per continent, we find big differences. The degree of urbanisation puts Asia at 89% urban vs 48% in the World Urbanization Prospects. Africa is 81% urban according to the degree of urbanisation but only 40% according to the World Urbanisation Prospects.

9. Why are the results so different?
National definitions vary substantially: minimum population threshold ranges from 200 to 50,000
Unclear how often definitions are updated
Half the countries do not report a definition
The global grid used can contain flaws if:
Population is not reported accurately
Building detection over or underestimates presence of buildings
Combining the data generated distortions

10. São Paolo + urban centres and urban clusters

12. Grid level

13. Main places

14. Enumeration areas in South Africa

15. Johannesburg at grid level

16. Johannesburg, main places

17. Johannesburg enumeration areas

18. Rabat 1,9 M
Casablanca 4 M

19. Fes 1,2 M
Marrakech 1,1 M

20. Next Steps
Invite all NSIs outside EU to reply to a survey on the degree of urbanisation (validity & utility)
Expand the number of pilot projects. Discussions are on-going with Colombia, Jordan, Malaysia, Vietnam, Uganda, USA. We would like to get India and China involved.
Present first results at World Urban Forum 2018
Present final definition to UN Statistical Commission in 2019

21. More information
Global Human Settlement Layer:
Degree of urbanisation
and
EU-OECD City definition
and