WIRED Magazine has created a list of Eight Cities That Will Show You What The Future Will Look Like in the latest edition of their design issue. In the relatively short span of time that humans have been planning cities, more and more decisions have been made that have shaped the path of new technologies and methods that will make cities better. Such projects—like new streetlights, bicycle infrastructure, and traffic-sensitive museums—highlight some of these advances in the urban lifestyle.
"The cities of tomorrow might still self-assemble haltingly, but done right, the process won’t be accidental. A city shouldn’t just happen anymore. Every block, every building, every brick represents innumerable decisions. Decide well, and cities are magic," writes Wired author Adam Rogers. Read on after the break to see how 8 different cities from around the world are implementing innovative projects.
Los Angeles is retrofitting 4,500 miles of sodium-vapor streetlights with light-emitting diodes, so that roads will look brighter, but can also be adapted to their environments, for instance, by blinking when a police car or ambulance is on its way.
In addition, with the advent of large-scale drought, landscape architects in Los Angeles are replacing imported plants with native species that are much more adapted to the dry climate.
The new Shanghai Natural History Museum not only incorporates green climate and water systems, but also utilizes its spiral shape to direct busy traffic flows through a chronological tour of life on Earth
Utilizing strategic urban planning methods to knit together a fractured community, Medellín has integrated cable cars into the city’s hillsides, integrating poorer citizens with the city through access to jobs and other opportunities
Medellín similarly has created “library-parks,” which combine beautifully designed libraries and green spaces throughout the city
As a part of a planned network of dedicated bike roads, Eindhoven has created Hovenring, an elevated steel deck specifically made for cyclists to safely ride above busy intersections
With the annual hajj, the population of Saudi Arabia increases by three million. Most cities aren’t designed with these kinds of surge capacity in mind, but Mecca, over the years, has been the site of more careful planning to allow for pilgrims to stay safer, healthier, and more comfortable, all while honoring the tenets of Islam. Such systems include advanced airport arrangements, Pneumatic trash tubes, expanded mosques, and the creation of fiberglass tent cities.
Nairobi’s widespread use of minibuses—called matatus—for transportation can often be difficult to track, with varying routes and time schedules. Thanks to a new student-built smartphone app, citizens can now track the routes and stops of local matatus, helping them better control how and when they travel.
Companies like WeWork in San Francisco have developed coworking spaces, where offices become environments of natural light and openness, a concept becoming more and more popular in the business world.
To combat issues with large-scale highways, Dubai’s Turbine Interchange—an alternative to roundabouts and cloverleafs—allows drivers to better turn or change directions without disrupting traffic, all within a cost-effective system
Learn more about these eight cities of the future, in WIRED Magazine’s article here.
News via WIRED Magazine.
