Rising infrastructure inequalities accompany urbanization and economic development
Abstract Impending global urban population growth is expected to occur with considerable infrastructure expansion. However, our understanding of attendant infrastructure inequalities is limited, highlighting a critical knowledge gap in the sustainable development implications of urbanization. Using...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Nature Communications |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-56539-w |
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| author | Bhartendu Pandey Christa Brelsford Karen C. Seto |
| author_facet | Bhartendu Pandey Christa Brelsford Karen C. Seto |
| author_sort | Bhartendu Pandey |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Impending global urban population growth is expected to occur with considerable infrastructure expansion. However, our understanding of attendant infrastructure inequalities is limited, highlighting a critical knowledge gap in the sustainable development implications of urbanization. Using satellite data from 2000 to 2019, we examine country-level population-adjusted biases in infrastructure distribution within and between regions of varying urbanization levels and derive four key findings. First, we find long-run positive associations between infrastructure inequalities and both urbanization and economic development. Second, our estimates highlight increasing infrastructure inequalities across most of the countries examined. Third, we find greater future infrastructure inequality increases in the global south, where inequalities will rise more in countries with substantial urban primacy. Fourth, we find that infrastructure inequality may evolve differently than economic inequalities. Overall, advancing sustainable development vis-à-vis urbanization and economic development will require intentional infrastructure planning for spatial equity. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-a9df6cfacea9423c9261522611e4ab01 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2041-1723 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Nature Communications |
| spelling | doaj-art-a9df6cfacea9423c9261522611e4ab012025-02-02T12:33:09ZengNature PortfolioNature Communications2041-17232025-01-0116111210.1038/s41467-025-56539-wRising infrastructure inequalities accompany urbanization and economic developmentBhartendu Pandey0Christa Brelsford1Karen C. Seto2Geospatial Science and Human Security Division, National Security Sciences Directorate, Oak Ridge National LaboratoryAnalytics, Intelligence, and Technology Division, Los Alamos National LaboratoryYale School of the Environment, Yale UniversityAbstract Impending global urban population growth is expected to occur with considerable infrastructure expansion. However, our understanding of attendant infrastructure inequalities is limited, highlighting a critical knowledge gap in the sustainable development implications of urbanization. Using satellite data from 2000 to 2019, we examine country-level population-adjusted biases in infrastructure distribution within and between regions of varying urbanization levels and derive four key findings. First, we find long-run positive associations between infrastructure inequalities and both urbanization and economic development. Second, our estimates highlight increasing infrastructure inequalities across most of the countries examined. Third, we find greater future infrastructure inequality increases in the global south, where inequalities will rise more in countries with substantial urban primacy. Fourth, we find that infrastructure inequality may evolve differently than economic inequalities. Overall, advancing sustainable development vis-à-vis urbanization and economic development will require intentional infrastructure planning for spatial equity.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-56539-w |
| spellingShingle | Bhartendu Pandey Christa Brelsford Karen C. Seto Rising infrastructure inequalities accompany urbanization and economic development Nature Communications |
| title | Rising infrastructure inequalities accompany urbanization and economic development |
| title_full | Rising infrastructure inequalities accompany urbanization and economic development |
| title_fullStr | Rising infrastructure inequalities accompany urbanization and economic development |
| title_full_unstemmed | Rising infrastructure inequalities accompany urbanization and economic development |
| title_short | Rising infrastructure inequalities accompany urbanization and economic development |
| title_sort | rising infrastructure inequalities accompany urbanization and economic development |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-56539-w |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT bhartendupandey risinginfrastructureinequalitiesaccompanyurbanizationandeconomicdevelopment AT christabrelsford risinginfrastructureinequalitiesaccompanyurbanizationandeconomicdevelopment AT karencseto risinginfrastructureinequalitiesaccompanyurbanizationandeconomicdevelopment |