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In the face of the global challenges of the future, there is one decisive factor that is rarely mentioned: massive urbanisation. Today, around two-thirds of the world’s population lives in cities. At the beginning of the 20th century, the corresponding figure was just 10%. In just over a hundred years, humanity’s way of life has undergone dramatic changes – a large majority of us have become urban dwellers. This book is about the cities of the future and the opportunities – and dangers – of a world where cities continue to expand.
Cities have the power to make the world a better place if they develop correctly. If cities, on the other hand, continue to grow without deliberation, it is a ‘sure road to hell’. Whatever scenarios we think are most likely, one thing is clear: if we are to solve the problems of the future, we must solve them in the biggest cities.
With the translation from Norwegian into English, Megalopolis, and its journey around the world in search of urban answers to the challenges of the future is now available to even more people.
Peter Butenschøn is a Norwegian city planner and urban designer, and architectural writer and critic. He has been the editor and a permanent architecture contributor to multiple publications, and an advisor to the Ministry of Culture in Norway.
