Neo-Growth in Future Post-Carbon Cities

Abstract

Ancient Greece had city-states &ndash; in 100 years we will have city-worlds. The global challenge of<br />urbanisation has been acerbated due to megatrends such as climate change, demographic change<br />(i.e. ageing of the population in industrialised countries, and increasing populations in developing<br />countries and new economies) globalisation and financial crises. The rise of megacities will speed<br />up urbanisation. The concepts and structures of new cities and the urban sprawl of existing cities has<br />been directly linked to energy, water, food, health and security issues. The consumption of fossil fuels<br />in construction, housing, transport and industry should be minimised and replaced with renewable<br />forms of energy. Future cities will also create a built environment that is based on a different logic than<br />today. Humans started to construct cities thousands of years ago, as shelter for survival and as centres<br />of housing, trading and recreation. In the future, cities will themselves be like organisms; sensitive and<br />responsive to interaction, self-constructing &ldquo;cyburgs&rdquo;. They are foreseen to emerge as self-sufficient<br />isles for energy, food, and comfort in the urban archipelago.