What Will Future Cities Look Like?
While no one can accurately predict the future, below you'll discover a series of TED talks where architects discuss what they most hope to see in the future of urban design.
In the video above, Shubjendu Sharma reflects on how the world used to be full of forests before human intervention. Sharma stresses the importance of incorporating more greenery into our landscape, and offers suggestions to help achieve the goal. He suggests that cities can increase greenery by planting 'forests' that only take 10 years to grow versus the traditional 100 years. He believes if everyone adapts to the similar green mindset, then there will be a shift in our landscape in the future.
While Shubjendu Sharma propses trees as a solution to reduce carbon, architect Kate Orff has offered a suggestion for obtaining a cleaner future by implementing Oysters into the rivers. Since Oysters are known to slurp up pollution, she believes that they will help make dirty waters clean.
Even though Oysters may help clean up the waters, Jeff Speck believes that we should focus on eliminating the ways we are increasing carbon. In a world where we've become heavily dependent on transportation, Jeff Speck imagines a world where cars are an optional instrument of freedom.
While Jeff Speck wants more walkable roads, Wanis Kabbaj shares his vision for a driverless world where most people are taking flying taxis, buses that can pass over top cars, and trains that can detach so that pedestrians don't have to wait for transfers. The main discussion he's having is that adapting roads to handle self-autonomous transportation will eventually help not only reduce the carbon footprint but also the safety of the roads.
Having safer roads is exactly what Chris Downey would also like to see in the future. In the above video Chris Downey explains the benefits of building a city that is sensitive to individuals with disabilities. In the discussion he shares how by designing a city with the blind in mind, it will offer rich walkable sidewalks and designs that benefit everyone.