An outline to futureproofing cities with ten immediate steps

Abstract

It’s time to accept the fact that the world is changing very, very fast. Technology, business and social structures are rapidly evolving to meet new challenges. However, cities are slow to respond. They take time to plan, finance and construct. By the time they are built they are already out of date. In fact, using past metrics to plan future development, which continues to be the standard practice, is appearing to be a redundant model and proving to be very costly. This paper identifies ten key areas where governments, planners, investors and the individuals responsible for shaping cities, can refocus their priorities and funding in order to more effectively utilise both the limited financial and natural resources available. Entering a period of massive disruption, a paradigm shift is urgently required in the means of conceiving, delivering and managing city development.