Futurism

Planning students at the University of British Columbia unveiled bold new plans for Vancouver for the next 40 years, but as planning director Brent Toderian put it, the plans are "the easy part."

December 13, 2010 - The Vancouver Sun

One of the problems with investing in large infrastructure, and transportation in particular, is that it's difficult to predict the needs of future cities, says Mathias Crawford. If we're all telecommuting, will we need buses?

August 7, 2010 - GOOD Magazine

A review of the Our Cities Ourselves at the Center for Architecture in New York, which features ten proposals to create better cities by 2030.

July 24, 2010 - The Architect's Newspaper

Six architecture firms were commissioned to envision cities 20 years from now for the Venice Biennale. The one thing they all shared? Self-driving cars.

June 6, 2010 - The Economist

Rem Koolhaas and his practice have released a vision of Europe 50 years from now, connected by an extensive smart grid and utilizing solar, wind and other green technologies to power the continent.

May 10, 2010 - The Guardian U.K.

The plot of the summer blockbuster Iron Man 2 revolves around a fictional 1974 Expo, with the slogan "Better Living Through Technology." Managing Editor Tim Halbur says the film reflects the misplaced faith in technology and innovation that still drives Americans optimism.

May 9, 2010 - Tim Halbur

Australian architects imagine futuristic density, from jellyfish-shaped cities on the ocean to cactus-like desert structures.

April 13, 2010 - The Age (Australia)

America 2050 releases a new video imagining what a commute in future Detroit could look like, including car sharing, high-speed rail, and a light rail connector.

February 6, 2010 - America 2050

Olympic cyclist Chris Boardman unveiled a prototype bicycle design he believes is 20 years ahead of its time. It includes an onboard computer, spokeless wheels and solar power.

August 12, 2009 - The Daily Mail

At the 1939 World's Fair, one of the most popular exhibits was the Futurama, sponsored by GM and portraying a dazzling society of skyscrapers and freeways. Today, a group of architects, engineers and planners are creating a new Futurama.

May 2, 2009 - Lincoln Blog

The Lighthouse Centre for Architecture and Design in Glasgow stirred up a series of debates to talk about the future of Scotland's built environment.

April 28, 2009 - The Sunday Herald (Scotland)

An new exhibition in Toronto called Carrot City: Designing for Urban Agriculture includes a concept for Pig City, a high-rise swine farm.

March 6, 2009 - The Toronto Star

Futurist Dr. Ray Kurzweil is part of a team of big thinkers on the faculty of Singularity University, a joint project of Google and NASA with a mission to solve "humanity's grand challenges."

February 3, 2009 - TechCrunch

Want to get kids off the street? Build playgrounds on top of skyscrapers, like in this retro-future design from 1957's Mechanix Illustrated.

January 15, 2009 - Modern Mechanix

A Russian analyst is predicting the 2010 dissolution of the United States into at least six republics, each under the influence of foreign nations.

December 30, 2008 - Wall Street Journal

Ecotopia is a '70s cult novel that imagines a future where the Pacific Northwest secedes from the U.S. to become an environmentally-conscious utopian state. The NY Times reflects on the influence of this under-recognized novel.

December 25, 2008 - The New York Times

P.J. O'Rourke tours Walt Disney's 'Innoventions Dream Home', and concludes that we've descended into a deeply unimaginative period in history. The dream home is the successor to 1957's House of the Future, built entirely of plastic.

December 12, 2008 - The Atlantic

In expectation of a new exhibit opening at the Whitney Museum of Art, the New Yorker reflects on the curious life and career of Buckminster Fuller.

June 3, 2008 - The New Yorker