urban area

Skyline of Seoul at night Aerial view of Greater Adelaide, the parklands serve as a barrier between the inner CBD and encompassing urban area A satellite view of the U.S. Northeast megalopolis at night, the world's most economically productive megalopolis with over 50 million residents, centered on New York City Greater São Paulo at night, as seen from the International Space Station Warsaw metropolitan area An urban area is a human settlement with a high population density and an infrastructure of built environment. Urban areas originate through urbanization, and researchers categorize them as cities, towns, conurbations or suburbs. In urbanism, the term "urban area" contrasts to rural areas such as villages and hamlets. In urban sociology or urban anthropology, it often contrasts with natural environment.

The development of earlier predecessors of modern urban areas during the urban revolution of the 4th millennium BCE led to the formation of human civilization and ultimately to modern urban planning, which along with other human activities such as exploitation of natural resources has led to a human impact on the environment.