The economic history of urbanization

Ancient Jericho, located in the Jordan Valley and dated to at least the ninth millennium BC, stands as a leading candidate for the title of the 'first city.' Archaeological evidence suggests it housed around 2,000 inhabitants, highlighting its significance in the origins of urbanization. Cities emerged due to the overwhelming benefits they provided to human societies, outweighing the costs associated with close living arrangements. This economic perspective underscores how urbanization has historically driven human achievement, from engineering marvels like ancient Rome's sanitation systems to the cultural flourishing of Renaissance Italy.

(Ed.). (2013). The economic history of urbanization. The Routledge Handbook of Modern Economic History, 303–316. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203075616-36