Cities in the Future Outline for a Joint Program

Evolution of Cities
The Role of Cities
Major Challenges for Cities
The Promise of Technologies

The Manifold Benefits of a Joint Program

The Future of Cities
Future of Cities as a new mission which tackles
urgent social needs and problems. Thus it delivers a
high social added value.
Future of Cities encompass generic technologies at
the forefront of technological development. Thus it
delivers a high economic added value.
Future of Cities as a clear and distinctive European
dimension. Thus it delivers a high European added
value.

Understanding the Different Evolution of Cities in

the U.S. Versus Europe

American City

Port City
Transport Hub
Industrial City
Frontier Town

Foto

Market Transactions

Historical City Centre

Roots go back to the
medieval ages
Industrialization in the
19th Century
Strict Regulation /
Planning

Social norms & institutions; Policy & Planning

European City

Foto

Challenges to the European Urban Model

Hypothesis: The European Urban Model is superior

in regard to sustainability and for reducing the
ecological footprint while maintaining an integrated
society
Hypothesis: The combination of given individual
preferences and market forces tend to produce the
American Model
Conclusion: The European Urban Model is in
constant pressure between market forces,
institutional settings & norms and historical heritage

Urban Spaces In Europe The Large Picture

Highly Urbanized: Europe is to
be understood as an Urban
Europe
Several Clusters / Poles of
Urban Regions
Several Axes of Urban
Regions

The role of cities in modern society

The city as incubator & producer of innovation
- Overwhelming bulk of innovation relevant infrastructures is
concentrated in urban areas (universities, R&D facilities etc.)
- Skilled Human capital is concentrated in urban areas
- Innovative milieus
- Cities are the birth-places of the future(s)

The city as user of innovation

- Early adoption of innovation in urban areas
- Urban areas as diffusion nodes
- New technologies often explicitly express needs of cities
(infrastructure) or urban societies

Major Challenges for Cities and Their Societies

Demographic Change (Ageing)

Multi-ethnic urban societies
Security issues
Mobility: Individual and Public Transport
Economy:
- Coping with the Information Age
- Managing industrial / economic change
- Labor markets

Ecology:
-

Sustainability
Energy
Air pollution, waste management
Spatial Change: Density versus Urban Sprawl

Urban Dialectics in the Age of Postmodernity

Autenthicity
Function
Society
Planning

Simulacrum
Form
Individualism
Markets

The Promise of Technology: Are There Quick

Technological Fixes?

Diffusion of technologies
Lock-in
Path-dependency
Network effects
Sunk costs
Barriers to diffusion
Social, institutional and regulatory framework
Incentives
Market structures

Understanding the (Possible) Futures of the City:

Different Scenarios
Convergence of City types to a world role model
based on the U.S. type?
Will there still be a place for a unique European-type
city?
Megacities, suburbs and exurbs: Dystopia or
Utopia?
Urban spaces versus distinct cities?

The Future of Cities - A Holistic Approach

Social needs & norms
Policy
&
Governance
Markets

Urban Planning

Technological
Fixes

Understanding the
future of cities

Future of Cities: Demographic Change

Ageing
Immigration
Multi-ethnic societies
Security
Gentrification
New social divides

Future of Cities: Ecology & Sustainability

Today 80 % of the world
population live in urban areas
Pollution in urban areas
Transportation in and between
urban areas
Urban density is an efficient
means to reduce the ecological
footprint of modern societies
Technological fixes are readily
available AND do have a large
potential for future improvements
Accelerating the diffusion of
available technological fixes by
enhancing incentives and
reducing barriers

Future of Cities: Pollution

Air pollution / Smog
Water pollution
Waste problem
End-of-pipe technologies
Clean technologies

Future of Cities: Urban Density

Exploiting inner urban spaces
Intra-urban city development
Greening of urban environment
Securing the historical heritage
Modernizing the built structures
Modernizing the urban
infrastructures
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Future of Cities: Transportation

Modal Split / Co-modality
Public versus Private Transport
Telematics
e-Commuting

Future of Cities: Technology Fixes

Information & Communication
Technologies
New Energy Technologies &
Concepts
New Mobility Paradigms /
New modes of transportation
Social Innovations and new
social networks

Future of Cities: Technology Fixes - Energy

New Energy Technologies &
Concepts
Renewable energy sources
Efficient distribution /
Intelligent grids

Future of Cities: Technology Fixes - ICT

ICT: Developing the e-City
(W-Lan, )
Ambient Intelligence
Embedded Systems
Internet of Things / RFID
e-Learning
e-business solutions

Technological Fixes: Barriers and Incentives

Norms / Institutions /
Regulation
Sunk costs (Network effects)
Overcoming the pathdependency of existing
structures
Cost structures
(Individual) Incentives

The European Challenge:

Combining Tradition with Innovation
Preserving Heritage
Utilizing Tradition
Open to Innovation
Open to Social Change

European Cities at the Crossroads: Quo Vadis?