The Future of Cities Has Already Chosen Megacities
The world is rapidly moving toward urban concentration — and this process now appears irreversible. According to Sergei Georgievskii, Co-founder of the Agency for Strategic Development “CENTER,” megacities are shaping the primary direction of territorial development today.
The facts speak for themselves: by 2050, one in seven people worldwide will live in a megacity. Large cities are becoming hubs of technology, investment, and new lifestyles. They are where transport solutions are implemented faster, infrastructure evolves more dynamically, and the kind of environment people actively choose takes shape — one that is dynamic, technological, and open.
Against this backdrop, smaller cities are increasingly vulnerable. Experts estimate that around 130 Russian cities may gradually disappear. Attempts to “save” them through remote work proved temporary — as office-based employment returned, the pendulum swung back toward large urban agglomerations.
As Sergei notes, a more rigid reality is now emerging: some cities are consolidating into larger systems, strengthening their resilience, while others are forced to define a unique role or follow a path of managed decline.
At the same time, some territories still have a шанс — through science, culture, and historical heritage. But the overall trend is clear: megacities continue to attract resources and people, becoming the new norm of spatial development.