Urban scaling

Urban scaling is the study of how various characteristics of cities, such as population, economy, infrastructure, and social phenomena, change proportionally as cities grow larger or smaller. It finds that many city attributes follow predictable patterns, often increasing faster than their population (superlinear) or at a steady rate (linear). For example, larger cities tend to generate more wealth and innovation per capita, while infrastructure efficiencies improve with size. Understanding these patterns helps urban planners and policymakers optimize city development, improve resource allocation, and address challenges related to growth.