Article
The city of the future
According to the United Nations’ estimates, 2007 was the first year in which more people around the world lived in urban areas than in rural ones.
May 20, 2021

Article
According to the United Nations’ estimates, 2007 was the first year in which more people around the world lived in urban areas than in rural ones.
May 20, 2021
United Nations’ forecast of urban–rural population distribution4
Population density by country7
Inhabitants per square kilometer
Population density by city and urban region8
Inhabitants per square kilometer
Guaranteed quality of life
Top ten ranking of cities with the highest quality of life in 201911
There is no way to imagine today’s cities without coliving, cohousing, coworking, comobility, and cogardening. The sharing economy has taken hold, with corresponding effects on cities. In the future, there will be more multifunctional residential and living spaces that intelligently link private areas with common areas, creating a high quality of life.
Cities are not only growing larger, but also higher.
1. Jeddah Tower (under construction), Saudi Arabia
2. Burj Khalifa, UAE
3. Shanghai Tower, China
4. Abraj Al-Bait Clock Tower, Saudi-Arabia
5. Ping An Finance Center, China
Being single has surpassed raising a family as a model for society. In 1919, over 50% of Swiss people lived in a household with five or more people, and only 12% lived alone or with one other person. As of 2019, the figure for the latter group was almost half (46%).12 This trend will continue to accelerate. According to forecasts, over 70% of Swiss people are expected to be living in one-to-two-person households by 2045. Residential planning is being adapted as a result because smaller apartments are more in demand than ever before.
Connectivity is crucial to the city of the future. Urban systems and infrastructures are connected to one another and share information in real time. Resources are used where they are actually needed – whether that is in waste disposal, traffic management, energy and water supplies, or healthcare. Trash is picked up as soon as the garbage can is full. Cars find available parking spaces on their own. Connected surveillance cameras ensure more urban security, and buildings allow rooms to be occupied depending on air quality.
Metropolitan area
Metropolitan areas are interlinked communities, also referred to as conurbations, that have a high population density. They often form a ring around core cities and grow together as the city expands. City sizes vary depending on whether the metropolitan area is counted as part of the city.
Population density
The ratio of inhabitants to the total area of individual states is called population density. Buildings are erected closer and closer together so more people can live and work in the same total area.
Garden city
The concept of a garden city was originally created by Ebenezer Howard in response to the poor living conditions in England’s major cities in 1898. Howard had a permanent impact on urban planning because his idea focused on building settlements in a ring around the core and surrounding them with greenbelts.
Global cities
Innovative and creative cities are increasingly becoming economic, cultural, and political hubs. A global city assumes key control functions because it links regional, national, and international markets for finance, services, and goods. Examples include New York City, London, Hong Kong, and Paris.
Megacity
The term megacity is used to describe to urban centers with more than 10 million residents.
Microhousing
Microhousing refers to having as much quality of life as possible in the smallest possible space. Tiny houses are an expression of that. They combine cozy amenities with efficient use of space. At the forefront of this trend is Japan. On average, each resident of Tokyo has 19 m2. of living space available to them. The microhousing movement is spreading more and more and is popular both in cities and among modern-day nomads.
Rural cities
Many city dwellers long for life in a rural idyll. Urban developers, but also mainly the citizens themselves, are creating country-like, stress-free spaces close to nature in their cities. These may take the form of urban gardening or green spaces for shared usage, for example.
Smart cities
The term smart city refers to an urban area with intelligently connected buildings and infrastructure. Sharing data optimizes the city in terms of its economic and ecological aspects as well as the quality of life.
Urban development
The purpose of urban development is to enable the holistic and long-term expansion of built-up areas. Because of social and demographic change and urbanization, new factors – such as climate change and changing models of living – are playing a more important role. City planners take these factors into account during the development of urban areas, with the aim of increasing the quality of life and the location’s attractiveness to residents and businesses.
Urban climate
Cities develop their own climate, and the climate has a significant influence on the health and quality of life of their residents. It is affected by a variety of factors such as soil sealing, the presence of vegetation, and the thermal energy storage of buildings. Characteristics of a harmful urban climate include increased temperatures, poor air quality, and little ventilation. City planners attempt to actively combat those elements.
Urbanization
The term urbanization refers to the spread of urban living models and the behavior of the population. Compared to the concept of urban sprawl, which refers to geographic spreading, urbanization also involves social change.
Densification
Urban densification refers to downtown areas of cities with high densities of population, buildings, infrastructure, and mobility. They accommodate a large number of people, living spaces, and means of transportation over a very small area.
A successful approach to and execution of the densification process usually determines what quality of life the entire city or even the region will have.
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1 https://population.un.org/wup/
2 https://www.unenvironment.org/resources/emissions-gap-report-2019
3 https://de.statista.com/statistik/daten/studie/12887/umfrage/primaerenergieverbrauch-ausgewaehlter-nationen/
https://de.statista.com/statistik/daten/studie/42435/umfrage/schweiz---primaerenergieverbrauch-ausgewaehlter-brennstoffein-millionen-tonnen-oelaequivalent/
4 https://ourworldindata.org/urbanization
5 https://ourworldindata.org/urbanization
6 https://www.un.org/en/events/citiesday/assets/pdf/the_worlds_cities_in_2018_data_booklet.pdf
7 https://population.un.org/wpp/Download/Standard/Population/
8 https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bev%C3%B6lkerungsdichte
https://www.wissenschaft.de/allgemein/tokio-in-zahlen/
9 https://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/de/home/aktuell/neue-veroeffentlichungen.assetdetail.12847542.html
10 https://knoema.com/atlas/China/Population-aged-65-years-and-above
https://www.google.com/publicdata/explore?ds=d5bncppjof8f9_&met_y=sp_pop_totl&idim=country:CHN:IND&hl=de&dl=de
https://population.un.org/wpp/Download/Standard/Population/
11 https://www.mercer.ch/newsroom/quality-of-living-2019.html
12 https://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/de/home/statistiken/bevoelkerung/stand-entwicklung/haushalte.html
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