Las ciudades del siglo XXI frente al reto del pico del petróleo

In this article the modern urbanization process with its tendency to higher
concentration and urban over-scale of its megalopolis is analyzed. The ways in which these urban centres manage to subordinate the territory to their interests in order to gain the needed mater, energy and information to maintain their socioeconomic metabolism are described, pointing to the central role played therein by the existence of abundant fossil fuels. From this perspective, the challenge for modern cities implied by the end of ‘cheap oil’ due to peak oil scenarios is described and how conflicting interests may generate unsustainable urban scenarios in the XXI century.