Shaping Future Cities
Falling Walls Circle Tables are lending the spotlight to world-leading scientists, science strategists and policy-makers from academia, business and politics discuss how we can apply science, research and innovation to get the world moving again.
In this Falling Walls Circle Table, the panel asked how we can begin to build future cities. Rather than prescribing this vision, the discussion centred around how citizens themselves can shape tomorrow’s society, and the role of digital innovation in creating it.
Technology has immense power in our lives and harnessing that power can be instrumental in building a positive future. Innovations such as driverless cars, smart grids, innovative architecture and personalised health may all play key roles in future cities. But meaningful implementation requires collaboration between technology, government and citizens.
Citizens today have complex relationships with trust – frequently wary of government, but widely sharing data with tech giants. Projects that actively engage and collaborate with citizens to create new technological tools can – in so doing – foster trust.
While much work centers on what technology can bring to future cities, vision is essential. Collaborations between tech and humanities can help empower citizens to imagine – and build – a brighter future.