For the first time in history more than half of the world’s population live in cities, and the UN predicts that this will rise to 68% by 2050. In our modern world of global cities, smart cities, garden cities and cities of culture, perhaps it’s time to redefine what it means to be a city at all.

At its most basic, a city can be defined a large human settlement, with advanced systems for housing, transportation, sanitation and communication. The density of activity enables people to come together, facilitating trade, commerce, education and culture. We accept that a city is larger than a town, which in turn is larger than a village, but the boundaries between each are not very clear. What is clear is that cities are significant socio-economic attractors – acting as powerful magnets pulling people in.

WE BUILT THIS CITY

The UK has regulated which towns and…