Also discussed here: National Intelligence Council Releases ‘Global Trends 2030’: Prominent Roles Predicted for Demographic and the Environmental Trends(Schuyler Null & Kate Diamond, New Security Beat, December 11, 2012)
We review today a look at recent trends and the next 20 years for the world and in particular at what this means for urban centres. Some the key trends are the shift in middle class consumption and manufacturing from North America to the developing world, especially to mega-cities in China and India, the improvements coming from technology that range from smart city infrastructure to self driving cars. Much more is said about diplomacy, military power and security but for this review we concentrated on the urban aspects.
Key Quotes:
“In smart cities, advanced IT capabilities are the foundation of urban planning, governance, resource-management, physical infrastructure, communications infrastructure, building design, transportation systems, security services, emergency services, and disaster response systems.”
“Governments around the world, especially in developing countries, could spend as much as $35 trillion in public-works projects in the next two decades….massive market opportunities for information technology, systems-integration, and sustainable-technology providers and integrators—to ensure that the megacities develop. Some of the world’s future megacities will essentially be built from scratch, enabling a blank-slate approach to infrastructure design and implementation.”
“With this heavy investment in smart-city infrastructure in African, Latin American, and especially Asian urban centers, the epicenter of smart-city innovation will begin by 2030 to move away from Europe and North America.”
“Self-driving cars could begin to address the worsening congestion in urban areas, reduce roadway accidents and improve individuals’ productivity (by allowing drivers the freedom to work through their commutes) Mass-transit innovations will likely emerge from the fastest-growing urban areas of Asia.”
Related articles
No comments:
Post a Comment