Rethinking the cities of the future
BY THE end of this century, 10 billion people will inhabit our planet, with 8.5 billion of them living in cities. This could be the stuff of nightmares. But, with sufficient political will, vision, and creativity — along with some simple, practical policy changes — we may be able to create cities of dreams.
Cities are hubs of economic and social power. They drive national and global development by concentrating skills, ideas, and resources in a single location. But rapid urban development comes at a heavy cost. As cities expand, they swallow up land that would otherwise be used for food production. They drain water supplies, account for almost 70% of global energy use, and generate more than 70% of greenhouse gas emissions.
