My City / Your City: Urban Tech Pioneers

"The year 2030 is roughly 4,400 days from now. In urban planning thinking, this isn’t the future, this is tomorrow. There is little doubt that cities will continue to be humankind’s greatest invention, nor is there doubt that we will continue to populate our cities at unprecedented rates. The question is how will we harness technology, sharing and innovation to serve people, provide equity and improve our quality of life." - Martin Barry, Frobes Next

As we well know, the majority of the world’s population is now urban. People are moving to cities, attracted by their economic and cultural dynamism and the lifestyle proffered. In parallel, rates of loneliness and social isolation are also increasing.

The rise of co-living and co-working developments across major cities and the massive growth in the sharing economy demonstrate a growing desire for people to connect with each other. This trend has massive potential domino effects, as sharing becomes an imperative from an economic, ecological and social perspective. As space and resources become scarcer, how can we more intelligently and inventively use what we have to provide maximum benefit? How does technology and sharing impact our lives in the future of cities? Which technologies are helping to build smart citizens?

With the right outlook and target, innovation can catalyze the creative potential of citizens, technology, activists, artists, cultural actors, and social scientists to create socially innovative business models in design, living, eating, mobility and working - all impacting our lives in cities.

Martin Barry