What makes a city a city?

Answer 1

At least one university and a cathedral. They also have to go through a selection process

Answer 2

A cathedral alone is not enough - there are one or two towns with cathedrals. The non-cathedral cities have received royal charters granting city status. Derby was made a city to mark the queen's silver jubilee, and more cities were created to mark the so-called 'millennium' in 2000 (Brighton) and about five were created for her golden jubilee (including Newry and Lisburn in Northern Ireland. I've been to both and guess what? They really feel like towns, whatever their charter says). Having a university does not automatically make a difference. Cambridge had a university as a town for over 600 years. Here are two stories below.

Answer 3

A city is an urban area with a large population and a particular administrative, legal, or historical status. Large industrialized cities generally have advanced systems for sanitation, utilities, land usage, housing, and transportation and more. This close proximity greatly facilitates interaction between people and firms, benefiting both parties in the process. However, there is debate now whether the age of technology and instantaneous communication with the use of the Internet are making cities obsolete. A big city, or metropolis, may have suburbs. Such cities are usually associated with metropolitan areas and urban sprawl, creating large amounts of business commuters. Once a city sprawls far enough to reach another city, this region can be deemed a conurbation or megalopolis. Towns and cities have a long history, although opinions vary on whether any particular ancient settlement can be considered to be a city. A city formed as central places of trade for the benefit of the members living in close proximity to others facilitates interaction of all kinds. These interactions generate both positive and negative externalities between other’s actions. Benefits include reduced transport costs, exchange of ideas, sharing of natural resources, large local markets, and later in their development, amenities such as running water and sewage disposal. Possible costs would include higher rate of crime, higher mortality rates, higher cost of living, worse pollution, traffic and high commuting times. Cities will grow when the benefits of proximity between people and firms are higher than the cost. The first true towns are sometimes considered to be large settlements where the inhabitants were no longer simply farmers of the surrounding area, but began to take on specialized occupations, and where trade, food storage and power was centralized.

Answer 4

Historically, it was a town that had a cathedral. So, you get some small places, like St Davids, in Wales, that are cities (has a cathedral), and bigger places which are still towns. However, a rash of places were, for some reason, made into cities by the Queen a few years ago, even though they don't have cathedrals. Preston in Lancs and Plymouth in Devon I think were made cities then.

Answer 5

A city is granted a city status by the British Monarch. However, some predate this system and are still called cities since they were known as cities since "time immemorial". Cities were often granted city status when obtaining a cathedral, however, this is not always the case. And in government reforms, cities need to reapply for the status, else they loose it, like Rochester did in 1998.

Answer 6

Well i am from sunderland which used to be a town but is now a city.

As we grew and grew our council applied for the status of city and in 1990 (i think) we were granted that status.

Everyone in Sunderland was sent a letter by the Queen (i still have mine) to commemorate the occasion.

I believe that it is just a town that is growing and has a good economy and good trade. That is what qualifies.

Hope this helps,
Helen x x x

By the way, Sunderland does not have a cathedral.

Answer 7

Wolverhampton used to be a town and is now a city. It does have a University but not a cathedral.

Answer 8

The area gets so populated that a city council is formed.

Answer 9

Blackburn, Lancashire, UK. Is one if ,the only, town with a cathedral. But I think the rule of having a cathedral is right.

Answer 10

A Cathedral.