Among social scientists consensus exists on urbanization as an indispensable aspect of social modernization. During the last century, the process of industrialization was accompanied by a huge wave of migration from rural to urban areas. The formation of big cities, in tum, made up the base for an increase of mass education as well as the spread of mass media. The changes induced by urbanization did not only have a strong impact on the structure of the society, but also did deeply change the way of social life. By the end of the 21st century, again, a close link seems to exist between the socio-economic transformation of the Western world on the one hand, and a new stage in the process of urbanization on the other hand. The service economy having replaced industrial production as the most important domain of economic life essentially needs the social and cultural infrastructure provided by urban or even metropolitan areas. Due to the development of fast and highly efficient systems of mass transportation, processes of social, cultural, and economic exchanges between the different parts of the world, but primarily between metropolitan areas. The development of new media of communication has facilitated the exchange of information of any kind, not only within a society, but, moreover, between societies separated by a large territorial distance from each other.

Dr. Oscar W. Gabriel, Professor für Politikwissenschaft an der Universität Stuttgart;
Dr. Vincent Hoffmann-Martinot, Centre d'Etude et de Recherche sur la vie local, Institut d'Etudes Politiques de Bordeaux;
Hank V. Savitch, Chair, Public Administration and Professor of Urban and Public Affairs, College of Business & Public Administration, University of Louisville