African Entrepreneurship Record

Chapter 1380: Chapter 368: Urban Transformation (Part 2)

In the early 20th century, a city with a population exceeding one hundred thousand was already considered a sizable city, especially in Europe. For instance, Germany had nearly fifty cities with populations over one hundred thousand before World War I. During the same period, Russia had about seventy cities with populations exceeding one hundred thousand.

Therefore, Mbea City, with a population of over eight hundred thousand, is also a rare large city in the world. If we account for the permanent residents, the population of Mbea City should easily surpass one million.

In this way, East Africa might have a similar number of cities with populations over one million as the United States, although overall, probably still less than the U.S. Apart from the numerical difference, the population may not equal that of the U.S., considering just New York has over five million people, which is more than the combined populations of Dar es Salaam City, Mombasa City, and Harare.

And thinking about this, London’s population in the UK is even more daunting. It’s crucial to understand that pre-war London’s population reached over seven million, while the total population of the British mainland was only over forty million.

In contrast to the urban development models of the UK and the U.S., the administrative intervention in urban development by East African countries is a significant reason for the current urban structure formation. Additionally, East Africa’s geography has promoted this mode of development.

For example, in the UK, with a small land area and limited usable land, concentrating the population in London is actually more suitable. Meanwhile, major cities in the U.S. are concentrated on the East Coast and Great Lakes Region, which is rational as the climate in the western U.S. is relatively harsh and the terrain is rugged and complex, making it impossible to support too many people.

Meanwhile, the differences between East Africa’s East and West Coasts are relatively minor, and neither is clearly superior, resulting in a relatively balanced population distribution.

Faced with Mayor Ikti’s lament, Mayor Valence from Guilu City in the Province of Bohemia affirmed: ”Mbea City was the earliest to undergo industrial transformation among the country’s heavy industrial cities.”

”Moreover, Mbea’s development began relatively early, with more complete industries and a prominent transportation position, so its relative prosperity is understandable.”

Mbea City was one of the earliest cities in East Africa. When Mbea became the center of the colonial district, cities like Harare in Bohemia were still wild lands where indigenous people hunted.

And early urban development is naturally an advantage, particularly as some established industries tend to remain in their historical locations due to inertia.

Ikti explained: ”It’s not entirely due to these reasons, the most important factor is that Mbea City seized the opportunity. After all, there are quite a few cities in East Africa that started early, like Dodoma and Tabola, which have relatively unsatisfactory development.”

Mayor Valence said: ”That’s because other cities developed too rapidly. Initially, the Empire expanded by seizing many good places from Portugal and the Boer People, and better natural conditions naturally attracted more resources, just like Cabinda, Luanda, Maputo, and Bela.”

”Most of the cities in our province were formed due to mineral resource development, which is our advantage. However, from a long-term perspective, over-dependence on mineral resources is not sustainable; otherwise, we wouldn’t be traveling to Mbea City to learn.”

This time, the Province of Bohemia organized officials to travel to Mbea for study and exchange, aiming to learn from Mbea City’s experience in urban industrial transformation.

As a heavy industrial base, the economy of Bohemia Province is heavily reliant on heavy industry, which is inherently polluting, low-profit, and heavily dependent on resources. Now, several resource-exhausted small towns have emerged in the Bohemian Province, which has raised concerns for the provincial government.

Of course, the problem in the Bohemian Province isn’t severe yet, but if it does encounter significant issues, it won’t be for several decades. Yet, decades can pass in the blink of an eye for a country, making it a near concern for Bohemian Province.

Ikti stated: ”Mbea City’s successful transformation is highly instructive for us. Take our Harare for instance; it has large industries, but a high proportion of heavy industry and serious pollution, affecting the city’s water quality, air, and soil, despite measures taken to minimize impacts.”

”And here in Mbea City, it’s completely different. Although Mbea’s industries remain strong, the sky is blue, streams and lakes are purer, the air is fresher, along with Mbea City’s deliberate landscape and cultural creation; I think it’s superior to most cities worldwide.”

”A city like Mbea, perhaps only Vienna could be slightly compared.”

Vienna is a relatively picturesque city, which is why Ikti compares Vienna with Mbea City.

Valence said: ”Vienna is far superior to Mbea, after all, it’s the capital of Austria-Hungary. For a true comparison, it should be Vienna versus Rhein City, but Rhein City developed much later, and it’s much smaller in scale, and Rhein City itself imposes significant industrial restrictions, making the comparison even less valid.”

Vienna’s industry is also robust, while simultaneously fulfilling administrative, financial, cultural, and educational roles, making it hard for ordinary cities to compare with Vienna.

Ikti then said: ”I only consider from the economic and scenic perspectives, Mbea’s overall conditions certainly don’t match Vienna, but there’s probably no other city in Austria-Hungary that can be compared with it.”