A 20-Year To-Do List for Cities

"[A]bsent a world-changing event or discovery, we have a pretty good idea how the challenges of 21^st century cities might line up," according to an article by Anthony Flint.

Armed with that relative certainty, Flint sets out to detail the seven items on a to-do list for cities to achieve in the next 20 years. The list includes confronting climate change, dealing with affordable housing, managing seismic demographic shifts, and re-engineering cities to embrace new technology.

On confronting climate change, Flint writes:

Adaptation and resilience measures will be in full swing, and the most problematic coastal areas will be returned to their natural state. Meanwhile, cities will continue their role as leaders in mitigation: converting to renewable power sources, making all new construction zero-carbon and retrofitting older buildings, and reaping the low-emission benefits of walkable, compact, transit-served urbanism. The importance of land use and sustainable policies for land will be ever more apparent. Climate will be the central occupation of political leaders, planners, and the private sector.

The skills and history of planning will inform almost every one of the seven items on Flint's to-do list.