Radius Global Cities Network
Cities are undoubtedly prime influencers of human civilization. Modern cities, coupled with advances in digital and mobile technologies, are increasingly “smart cities” and generate huge amounts of data that can be harvested, mined, and analyzed to support decision making for urban community leaders and activists. By the middle of the 21st century, over 68 percent of the world’s total population will live in the cities. Today’s cities are complex, multifaceted social organizations that demand thoughtful understanding and in-depth research. The think tank exists to meet these challenges of 21st century cities and harness the opportunities to drive forward the welfare of cities and all who live in them.
Resources & Papers
A primary purpose of Radius Global City Network is to collect and produce quality research and thinking about cities. As we build a more complete reference database, these articles offer a small sampling of future resources. One of our goals is to produce more research on cities that have less often received as much attention.
Global Cities Dashboard
This survey of 3,200 cities around the world is one of the many ways we visualize and present complex city data. The dashboard includes cities with population of 100,000 and above as well as capital cities. Click on City Data for additional examples.
Blog
In Memoriam: Honoring the Legacy of Urban Missiologist Ray Bakke
Although I only met Ray Bakke once at a YWAM urban ministry center in the Tenderloin district of San Francisco, his impact on my life has been profound. Even in that gathering, Bakke was casting vision to a new generation of Christians seeking to make a difference in their cities. Thanks to Ray Bakke, the global church is better prepared to engage our ever-more-urban world.
What Will Post-Pandemic Church Look Like?
Though we know God is sovereign over the pandemic and subsequent lockdowns, we can still ask how and why we gather as a church in light of the pandemic. The data listed above shows that, in some sectors, remote life will continue. Should that have any influence on the way the church will gather?
It’s About Time: The Greatest Barrier to Healthy Urban Church Planting
If the work of discipleship that is needed requires a great deal of time in order to build up healthy disciples and healthy churches, what are urban church planters or pastors to do? It can be very discouraging when they imagine the immensity of their task and try to imagine accomplishing it on such limited terms. Many church planters come from very traditional models that put a great deal of emphasis on the big weekly meeting, and it can be difficult to break out of this singular model. If life in your city is as busy as in most major cities in the world, the only solution is to be open to creative possibilities for making good use of the time we have and the time that people are available.
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