The State and Prospects of the Study of Urbanization as an International Political Phenomenon

Abstract

The present study is aimed at studying urbanization as an international political phenomenon in modern world politics.
Aim. To define the concept of urbanization and the city in modern political science and to identify the role of urbanization processes in international relations.
Tasks. To define the essence of the city as a political concept, to define modern political concepts of cities, to comprehend the prospects of urbanization processes for modern international relations.
Methods. In this paper, using the methods of analysis, synthesis and forecasting, the factors contributing to the influence of urbanization on modern international relations are identified.
Results. The study showed that urbanization is an integral part of the international political process of the XXI century, the importance of which is increasing every year. Currently, the political, economic, and cultural life of society is concentrated in cities. At the same time, the number of urban residents is steadily increasing, which makes the XXI century the century of large urban settlements. Political practice shows that with increasing trends towards glocalization and regionalization, cities are becoming more and more autonomous players in solving local domestic and foreign policy issues, entering the world arena through special cross-border urban associations.
Conclusion. The international legal non-regulation of the autonomy of cities as actors in international relations complicates the modern world political process. Nevertheless, global, and smart cities are becoming the flagships of urbanization and the centers of attraction for international cooperation, including in the field of politics, which makes it necessary to study them as a new international political phenomenon.