Antwerp
I know that it's already a global city, but San Francisco, especially in the absense of LA ever developing (which IMO was flukey), could be absolutely MASSIVE.
I presume you mean the Bay Area, as San Fran proper is just too geographically limited to expand - like Seattle as opposed to its area.
LA County also has a large amount of flattish land, plus a port. Same reason Tokyo grew so much.
Actually, I'm not so sure about that; after all, Pyongyang's status as a capital allows it to receive migrants from other parts of North Korea (well, presumably those whom the government approves of, that is).Pyongyang would probably be a fair bit bigger than today had the Korean War somehow ended in reunification under the South.
Actually, I'm not so sure about that; after all, Pyongyang's status as a capital allows it to receive migrants from other parts of North Korea (well, presumably those whom the government approves of, that is).
I don't think that Pyongyang would have been able to overcome the pull of the capital Seoul, though. Indeed, Seoul looks like it's (South) Korea's version of Moscow.North Korea has most of the coal and iron of the peninsula IIRC, depending on how United Korea's economy develops Pyongyang can overtake Seul.
I think Toledo could have had a go at being a major city, with more favourable circumstances (quicker Reconquista) and as it could have kept its role as capital. I don't think a city as important as Paris (which always was a demographical monstruosity since the XIIth century at latest), but one of the leading cities including demographically in western Europe, maybe the double of Barcelona.
I think Toledo could have had a go at being a major city, with more favourable circumstances (quicker Reconquista) and as it could have kept its role as capital. I don't think a city as important as Paris (which always was a demographical monstruosity since the XIIth century at latest), but one of the leading cities including demographically in western Europe, maybe the double of Barcelona.
The city began to decline by the IXth century (while remaining important). Letting alone the question of an absent Reconquista (which I admit find unlikely), Kurtuba held the main role because it was the head city of the emirate/caliphate : but I think it would have been nevertheless outgrown by Isbiliya in the XIIth especially if Kurtuba loose his political importance (as it began to did historically).What about Cordoba absent a Reconquista?
It suffered from being a border town, IMO, set on a variously navigable river and a bit too close from Catalonia being an economical/demograhical hub.I always thought Zaragoza had the potential to become something like OTL's Madrid had the Spanish dynastic politics gone different.