Signs of the times: The cities of the future are in the making

Cities are the best place to observe the unquenchable thirst for progress that drives our species. As we gain new insight, the priorities of our progress seem to shift. A century ago, we were rejigging cities to make more room for cars. The last few decades have seen us revert to a more human-oriented style of urban planning.

With this shift in priority, cities worldwide are embracing technology that helps enhance the everyday lives of those who inhabit it. After all, well-designed outdoor spaces have the power to transform lives. They’re more than thoroughfares – they’re the beating heart of a community, where our wellbeing can be preserved, where memories take root, and where connections flourish. With a touch of thoughtful innovation, these spaces can become even more extraordinary.

There are several technologies that might appear futuristic in one place but that have been working well for over a decade somewhere else. When compiling a list of technologies that appear to be helping humanity, we found examples of ideas that are now tried and tested and that could benefit from significantly more widespread takeup. We also came across tech that is just on the edge of implementation and that has great apparent potential.

The innovative approaches we looked at are those that focus on wellbeing, that allow for more connection with nature so that we can share urban spaces with other species, and also those that provide convenience, safety, energy efficiency, and enhanced personal mobility.

In terms of scale, we explored the micro and the macro – we wanted to take a close look at relatively small initiatives that are achievable and accessible and that make a difference to one aspect of city living but we also wanted to see what more ambitious and city-wide transformations could bring.

The cities of the future are here

Here are just a few examples of how cities are weaving technology into their urban fabric:

3. London’s Unobtrusive Foot Traffic Sensors

For a decade now, discreet sensors have gathered data on footfall, helping to understand the rhythm of the city, one step at a time. London is rapidly becoming a contender for smartest city as it rolls out initiatives like the smart meter programme and already boasting more EV charging stations and green-certified buildings than anywhere else on earth.

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4. India’s zero emissions, inner-city transport

A startup based on care for mobility in India, BluSmart committed to zero-emission, zero-cancellation, stable pricing, and motivated drivers. It’s growing faster than its global competitors, showing that city dwellers will put their money where their social and environmental concerns are.

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6. Zurich’s bright idea for street lighting

Showing that brighter isn’t always smarter, Zurich’s street lighting dims based on traffic density, reducing energy use by 70%. But these lights do much more than light the way – they collect environmental data, charge electric vehicles, measure traffic flow, and act as Wifi hotspots.

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7. Cape Town’s Careful Water Stewardship

A network of smart sensors keeps a watchful eye on the city’s water supply, detecting leaks early and monitoring usage patterns. It’s a concerted effort that helps ensure every drop counts. Already successful across three municipalities, the programme is an ambitious 15-year plan to mitigate the ever-present risk of severe water scarcity.

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9. From cartel central to cable car intervention – the radical transformation of Medellín

From the economic, social, and urban conflicts of the 1980s and 1990s, Medellín is emerging as a case study for the benefits of comprehensive urban projects. Building a network of cable cars to link informal settlements on the hills to the city that nestles in a valley has turned the city into a shining example of the way interconnection can strengthen communities, bring prosperity, and improve quality of life.

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Lessons for the rest of us

To those shaping our cities—the planners, designers, and engaged citizens—these stories serve as a gentle reminder: the future of our urban landscapes is in our hands. It’s an invitation for all of us to dream a little bigger, to look beyond the conventional, and to consider how each element of the cities we’re building for ourselves can contribute to the wellbeing of all who call the city home.

Some of these initiatives show that it’s not always about chasing the next big technological breakthrough. And we need to be prepared to fail or readjust our trajectory because not all initiatives go as planned. A good grasp of the rhythm of city life, of the needs of its inhabitants, and of the technologies available to us is enough to start a process of transformation, no matter the scale. Whether it’s a bench that offers more than just a place to sit, or a citywide initiative that transforms how people move and connect, every choice matters.

As we stand at this crossroads of tradition and innovation, we have a responsibility to design and build urban spaces that do more than accommodate. We can create cities that are wise,  nurturing, and regenerative.

One technology that is conspicuously absent in our list is Artificial Intelligence. That’s not to say we don’t have high hopes for it. We believe that intelligent cities will have access to enormous amounts of data – and we have the technology to collect data already – and also have the wisdom to know what to do with that information.