The City of the Future – A Livable Haven for All
Cities have continued to enhance urban residents’ access to various goods and services, supporting a variety of lifestyle options, all while developing infrastructure to facilitate education, culture, entertainment, and opportunities for professional and economic growth. Over the past 30 years, however, human activities have led to significant changes and deterioration of the Earth's surface, including the ongoing loss of polar ice. Growing urban populations and modern lifestyles have led cities worldwide to consume more and more energy, contributing to over 80% of the world's greenhouse gas emissions. The World Health Organization (WHO) states that over 3.6 billion people worldwide currently reside in areas at risk from environmental changes. Even excluding natural disasters, it projects that up to 250,000 could die every year from 2030-2050 due to climate change-related malnutrition, infectious diseases, and heat stress.
In a world that is changing, traditional cities no longer suffice. To address the evolving needs of life and habitation, we must invest in developing the city of the future. It’s important to ask: What changes will the city of the future need to accommodate, and how can it effectively adapt to these changes?
A City Where Everyone Thrives
The city of the future must be a place where everyone can thrive—a true ‘happy city for all.’ At the same time, the city should prioritize the concept of environmental concern or ‘earthcare’ in the face of escalating global challenges. To achieve a city of the future for people and planet, we need to harness our collective knowledge, science, and innovation to design cities to adapt to new challenges. This includes developing robust infrastructure capable of handling increasingly severe and unpredictable natural disasters as well as designing activities or lifestyles that promote livability and foster an attractive city identity. These so-called ‘livability activities’ can be a significant factor in achieving a preventive sustainable solution — demonstrating our genuine sense of earthcare.
Let Nature Lead the Way
The city of the future is one where humanity and nature coexist harmoniously. Major principles for sustainable urban development across the world emphasize addressing challenges through nature-based solutions. This involves framing issues based on how best to serve the interests of the planet, and then utilizing our collective knowledge to design infrastructure that addresses these issues while facilitating livability activities.
These ideas have been realized in the revitalization of Singapore's Kallang River. Originally the longest natural river on the island, the Kallang River was transformed into a concrete drainage system to accommodate the city's expansion into lower-lying areas and address flooding problems. However, the river underwent a rejuvenation project in 2006, when it was restored as a natural 2.7-kilometer watercourse meandering through Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park. The new river, complete with natural slopes, is surrounded by riverside vegetation that acts as a buffer to the seasonal water level fluctuations.
Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park not only serves to accommodate and drain rainwater, but it has also transformed into a large, fertile green space. The park has become a habitat for local plants and animals, as well as a space for various activities that provide urban residents with opportunities to learn about and coexist with nature. Functioning as a vital recreational area for the city, it has also become a case study for urban developers worldwide, demonstrating that cities can coexist with the ever-changing environment.
Developing Cities with Earthcare
When we genuinely prioritize the Earth, our subsequent actions — be it problem-solving within the city or planning for future urban development — revolve around considering the Earth as a fundamental component of the planning process. Several cities like Copenhagen, Vancouver, San Francisco, and Stockholm have shifted towards using renewable energy, producing clean energy, and implementing numerous policies to minimize industrial pollution. Designing a city with earthcare in mind can shape future human activities, infrastructure, energy usage, and waste management. The basic infrastructure of the city should facilitate renewable energy while minimizing pollution and urban waste, providing for urban activities that minimize their environmental impact and restore the local balance of nature.
This concept is gradually becoming a reality with projects like Naturbyen in Denmark, an international pilot project creating a new residential community alongside the restoration of agricultural land into forests, preserving biodiversity. Another example is the Dokken harbor in Bergen, Norway being developed into a pollution-free logistics and cargo transportation port, preserving the surrounding fjord area. Construction materials for the project will utilize “surplus materials” from construction projects in the region, expanding areas for environmentally friendly urban activities.
These are all the principles and ideals of sustainable urban development, which aims to minimize environmental impact, create a city that can independently produce its own resources, and produce regenerative & resilient cities — capable of adapting and handling a variety of situations. These goals are achieved through the design of basic infrastructure and spaces that accommodate activities for all groups of people, fostering a city that thrives in harmony with humans, plants, and animals — a true city of the future.
Source:
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