Big and beautiful cities: Can we do it?

Did you know that there are only 11 cities in the OECD world that are over 5 million? Yet we in Australia are likely to have four cities over 5 million by the 2030's: Sydney and Melbourne at 8 million and Perth and Brisbane at 5 million (ABS, 2013). For most Australians this is a source of anxiety, but for some who understand the economic benefits of agglomeration, it's beautiful. How should we think about big cities in Australia? Just bigger problems, or more beautiful opportunities?