Future
Reimagining Cities
July 18, 2024
Much of what we view as normal today would have been considered farfetched or preposterous back then. 50 years ago, the Internet didn’t exist, our phones were not hand-held devices, and individual communications were mostly hand-written.
Fast forward to today and technology has brought about change and progress which has improved lives across the globe. The immense progress driven by technology over the last five decades has only ignited more fervour to envision what could become reality in the next century. When people were randomly asked what the world will look like in 2073, the predictions ranged from absurd to plausible. Among others, some suggested that we would have explored more planets, there would be flying cars, and artificial super intelligence would be widely available.
While no one really knows if these predictions will come true, one thing is certain – our growing population would mean space constraints to an already burgeoning planet. While many researchers agree that we are not going to run out of space, an article in the guardian.com wrote that “Earth's population will be forced to colonise two planets within 50 years if natural resources continue to be exploited at the current rate”.
Fast forward to today and technology has brought about change and progress which has improved lives across the globe. The immense progress driven by technology over the last five decades has only ignited more fervour to envision what could become reality in the next century. When people were randomly asked what the world will look like in 2073, the predictions ranged from absurd to plausible. Among others, some suggested that we would have explored more planets, there would be flying cars, and artificial super intelligence would be widely available.
While no one really knows if these predictions will come true, one thing is certain – our growing population would mean space constraints to an already burgeoning planet. While many researchers agree that we are not going to run out of space, an article in the guardian.com wrote that “Earth's population will be forced to colonise two planets within 50 years if natural resources continue to be exploited at the current rate”.
What can we do? For this, the quote “desperation is sometimes as powerful an inspirer as genius” by Benjamin Disraeli feels apt. Faced with the real fear that mankind is running out of liveable cities, governments, architects, and other stakeholders have come together to find creative solutions.
In the report Samsung KX50: The Future in Focus, Professor Dale Russell, who is internationally acknowledged as an interdisciplinary futurist, design practitioner and academician, predicted that the future of cities is everywhere - up, down, underwater, and even in space. She stated that space for cities to grow is already at a premium, and we need radical solutions that would result in the cityscape looking very different from today – they may include the forming of new geographic boundaries of state, nation, land, sea or planet.
Already, governments and technology companies are engaging architects and designers to rethink the idea of cities, as well as how people interact and live within them. From Saudi Arabia, the United States, and China to Singapore, Malaysia, and Canada, many designers, architects, and planners are using advanced materials, smart science, and big data to make cities better than ever. These advanced cities display architectural innovations alongside futuristic visions of public transport and spaces filled with nature. Here are some future cities that are in the works.
In the report Samsung KX50: The Future in Focus, Professor Dale Russell, who is internationally acknowledged as an interdisciplinary futurist, design practitioner and academician, predicted that the future of cities is everywhere - up, down, underwater, and even in space. She stated that space for cities to grow is already at a premium, and we need radical solutions that would result in the cityscape looking very different from today – they may include the forming of new geographic boundaries of state, nation, land, sea or planet.
Already, governments and technology companies are engaging architects and designers to rethink the idea of cities, as well as how people interact and live within them. From Saudi Arabia, the United States, and China to Singapore, Malaysia, and Canada, many designers, architects, and planners are using advanced materials, smart science, and big data to make cities better than ever. These advanced cities display architectural innovations alongside futuristic visions of public transport and spaces filled with nature. Here are some future cities that are in the works.
Maldives Floating City, Maldives
The Maldives Floating City is at the initial construction stage in the Indian Ocean, close to the Maldivian Capital of Malé. Planned for completion in 2027, the Floating City will be the world’s first entirely floating city. Every building – from homes and shops to hotels and schools – will float on the ocean.
The outline of the city is roughly circular, with different hexagonal segments of floating roadways linking everything. With a water-centric design, the floating city, which is expected to house up to 20,000 people across 5,000 different floating units all separated by canals, also plans to have no cars. What makes the Maldives Floating City especially futuristic is its wider purpose: to combat climate change. “As a nation at the front lines of global warming, the Maldives is perfectly positioned to reimagine how humankind will survive and thrive," said the Dutch Docklands.
The Maldives Floating City is at the initial construction stage in the Indian Ocean, close to the Maldivian Capital of Malé. Planned for completion in 2027, the Floating City will be the world’s first entirely floating city. Every building – from homes and shops to hotels and schools – will float on the ocean.
The outline of the city is roughly circular, with different hexagonal segments of floating roadways linking everything. With a water-centric design, the floating city, which is expected to house up to 20,000 people across 5,000 different floating units all separated by canals, also plans to have no cars. What makes the Maldives Floating City especially futuristic is its wider purpose: to combat climate change. “As a nation at the front lines of global warming, the Maldives is perfectly positioned to reimagine how humankind will survive and thrive," said the Dutch Docklands.
The Line, Saudi Arabia
Out of all the cities being built now, the most imaginative and unique is probably The Line – the planned first base of a Saudi Arabian city-state called Neom. At The Line’s launch, Saudi Arabia's crown prince Mohammed bin Salman announced that the designs for the city's vertically layered communities will challenge the traditional flat, horizontal city and create a model for the preservation of nature and enhanced human liveability. "The Line will tackle the challenges facing humanity in urban life today and will shine a light on alternative ways to live,” he said.
Technological advancements such as the analysis of big data, the IoT, and AI will completely reshape our infrastructure but for all these to catch on, the AEC industry needs to embrace digitisation and the latest technological opportunities to collectively shape its transformation.
Out of all the cities being built now, the most imaginative and unique is probably The Line – the planned first base of a Saudi Arabian city-state called Neom. At The Line’s launch, Saudi Arabia's crown prince Mohammed bin Salman announced that the designs for the city's vertically layered communities will challenge the traditional flat, horizontal city and create a model for the preservation of nature and enhanced human liveability. "The Line will tackle the challenges facing humanity in urban life today and will shine a light on alternative ways to live,” he said.
Technological advancements such as the analysis of big data, the IoT, and AI will completely reshape our infrastructure but for all these to catch on, the AEC industry needs to embrace digitisation and the latest technological opportunities to collectively shape its transformation.