San Juan: America's Oldest City:  Founded in 1492 on the shores of the best natural harbor in the Caribbean, San Juan quickly became a New World financial capital and the headquarters for a religious order.  The city expanded rapidly and functioned for centuries as a strategic military and commercial outpost.  Because of its unique history and cultural heritage, parts of America’s oldest city have been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

​

Istanbul: The Crossroads of Civilization:  Located on a natural bridge between two continents, Istanbul enjoys a particularly favored geographic location.  The city functioned for millennia as a major trading center, eventually earning it the nickname “The Crossroad of civilization.  Here, the world’s major civilizations came into contact and conflict, and the city became a melting pot and the birthplace for diverse cultures and religions.

​

Singapore: The Garden City:  Singapore, both a city and a state, refers to itself The Garden City.  Lush vegetation mow covers a city once referred to as a “blighted urban jungle”.   A green revolution manages growth and development.  Vegetation lost to development is replaced by high rise terraces and vertical gardens.  Many of Singapore’s urban parks are connected into a green network, and Singapore is now known as the “greenest city in the world”.

​

Cities and the Sea:   Two great demographic shifts are occurring in the 21st century: migration toward the seacoast and movement into large urban centers.  As a result, humanity is becoming concentrated in coastal cities.  Rapid growth in these cities significantly alters the coastal environment, and, in turn, the sea and coast have a dramatic effect on the growth and development of large coastal cities.

​