A recent report from the U.N. Human Settlements Program (UN-HABITAT) reveals that inequality is increasing around the world in major cities. The generally accepted measure of income inequality, the Gini coefficient (where 1.0 signifies complete inequality and 0.0, complete equality) has been rising in most countries. While the largest megacity in the world, Tokyo, does not have the worst inequality, financial difficulties for most people in all major cities have been increasing and, amid the current economic crisis, have the potential to worsen dramatically.

Unsurprisingly, the most egalitarian cities in the world are those in Western Europe. Those cities maintained a 0.25 to 0.30 rating on the Gini coefficient scale. Other studies show that Tokyo's situation is similar to Western Europe overall. Surprisingly, though, Beijing, with a 0.22 Gini rating, was determined to be the most egalitarian major city in the world.

The UN-HABITAT report showed, somewhat surprisingly, that major U.S. cities rivaled Africa in the severity of their economic inequality. The obvious disparity in urban living conditions certainly played a part in the election of Barack Obama as U.S. president. A clear appraisal of the problems there will hopefully be integrated into future policies. Japan, too, must consider the future of its own cities. Income disparities here, whether real or perceived, are one of the prime determinants of safety, social functioning and quality of life. Huge cities like Tokyo and the Osaka-Kobe area are indeed like battleships — hard to turn around once the direction is set.