The Future is Cities

More than half the world lives in cities, and by 2050, it will be two-thirds. In China alone, 300 million people will move to the city within the next 15 years, and to serve them, China must build the equivalent of the entire built infrastructure of the United States by 2028.

Beyond the basic needs from housing to jobs, how do we enjoy the benefits of the city—like cafes, art galleries, restaurants, cultural facilities—without the traffic, crowding, crime, pollution, and disease?

Dozens of MIT faculty are now working to figure it out. The winter issue of MIT’s publication, Spectrvm, showcases MIT researchers who are making cities more livable, efficient, and sustainable.