The Academic: Future of development: Urban agglomerations and Syphon EffectResearch Article Link https://theacademic.com/urban-agglomeration-and-syphon-effect/YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@The-Academic?sub_confirmation=1Research Article: https://doi.org/10.1080/23738871.2022.2057865First Author Rui Xiao is an Associate Professor and a doctoral supervisor at the School of Remote Sensing and Information Engineering, Wuhan University, China. He is also a visiting scholar at Cornell University and Arizona State University in the USA. His work has been published in world-leading journals in urban and environmental studies. Rui's research interests encompass urban sustainable development, ecological environmental changes, optimal land-use planning, and the water-food-ecology nexus. He has published multiple academic papers, and the citation frequency of his papers is more than 3000.Second Author Hanyu Yin is a master's candidate at the School of Remote Sensing Information Engineering, Wuhan University. His research interests include urban computing and sustainable development in urban agglomerations. His specific research involves comparing 17 sustainable development goals within urban agglomerations, exploring collaborative models within cities, and analyzing the ecological and environmental changes resulting from urbanization processes. These studies aim to offer government officials and urban planners ideas and solutions for sustainable urban development.Article Summary The article discusses the impact of urbanization and the "urban syphon effect" on socioeconomic growth. It highlights the substantial increase in urban populations, with projections indicating that by 2050, urban populations will reach 70%. Large cities attract talent and resources due to better healthcare, education, and job opportunities, accelerating their development. However, this can strain ecological capacity and hinder the growth of smaller towns.To address this, the concept of urban agglomeration development is proposed, where multiple cities coordinate their growth to alleviate pressure on core urban areas. Mega-urban agglomerations exist globally, facilitating resource flows and cooperation.Sustainability in urban agglomerations is crucial, aligning with the United Nations' 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Balancing economic development with environmental and ecological considerations is essential for a country's sustainability.The future of urban agglomeration development considers the scale and combinations of cities. Sustainability science and SDG scores can guide the collaboration approach among cities, promoting balanced development. Finding the right balance and scale is a significant challenge for the future of urban agglomeration development.