The Future is Cities

Cities are growing faster than you can say megalopolis. But as populations around the world shift to urban areas, cities are also focal points for global challenges—water, energy, health. MIT is working to address these issues.

1 minute read

February 20, 2014, 2:00 PM PST

By seich


Shanghai Maglev

Lars Plougmann / flickr

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.

Thursday, February 20, 2014 in Spectrvm

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I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

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