Designing the Cities of the Future

According to Aristotle, economics consisted of thinking about the organisation of life in the city. Architects, urban planners, geographers, economists and political decision-makers are all thinking in complementary ways about reinventing the city in the face of existing issues and new challenges. These are particularly acute in large metropolises, where inequalities are exacerbated by the high cost of land and the concentration of economic and cultural activities in small areas. It is then necessary to fight gated communities and ghettos phenomena. In addition to social challenges, there is a need to address climate change and its consequences – as exemplified by several catastrophes (Valencia, Los Angeles, etc.). Climate change in cities can lead to worsening floods and droughts, reduce access to drinking water, sanitation and food, displace communities and spread diseases. Thus, the key word here is ‘adaptation’, so that cities overcome this challenge by preparing for the worst, but it is also, in a more positive note, an opportunity to strengthen cooperation between the North and the South, to promote technological exchanges and to share experience on the most effective policies.