Beyond skyscrapers: imagining the cities of tomorrow

How might cities adapt through innovation, sustainability, and human-centered planning in a rapidly changing world?

Imagine a city where buildings grow like plants, adapting and reshaping themselves in response to changing climate and human needs. You might see flying vehicles zipping through the skies, powered by renewable energy, autonomous AI robots delivering goods straight to your door, and AI assistants that greet you in the morning and help with daily tasks as companions. Today, you could even decide to visit your favorite city on Mars, comfortably from your couch, while checking the daily agenda provided by your AI. Images like these, once confined to the realms of science fiction, are increasingly becoming plausible futures, as advancements in technology, energy, and design accelerate and make innovations blend to redefine how we live.

Science fiction has long explored visions of future cities, imagining how urban life might evolve under the influence of technology, population growth, and social change, and not always in positive terms. Asimov (1954), for instance, depicts a future city set before the later discovery of hyperspace travel and the colonization of the first Spacer worlds—a city completely covered and overpopulated, where humans live in enormous enclosed complexes, the so-called “caves of steel.” The novel explores extreme urbanization, alienation, and the conflict between technology, robotics, and human nature, themes that reappear later in the Robot series. Philip K. Dick (1968) portrays post-apocalyptic cities after a nuclear war, combining advanced technology with decaying urban landscapes, and showing urban alienation, societal deterioration, and tensions between humans and androids. William Gibson (1984) presents sprawling cyberpunk megacities marked by technological saturation, social inequality, and dense, chaotic urban environments, exploring how digital networks, cyberspace, and corporate power shape human experience within these urban contexts. These few examples from the vast body of science fiction exploring future cities offer a glimpse into challenges and possibilities that urban life may face in the decades ahead.

When people think about future cities, a variety of visions related to sustainability, technological innovation, and social equity emerge. Some envision smart cities where advanced technologies like IoT, AI, and data analytics seamlessly integrate with urban life, optimizing everything, from traffic management to energy use​. Others imagine cities where buildings and infrastructure are flexible enough to evolve over time, and respond dynamically to shifting populations and climate conditions. However, while these visions of smart and adaptive cities are compelling, they don’t always address the social dimensions, such as employment, security, equity, and the maintenance of infrastructure. How can a city with millions of jobless or vulnerable citizens remain safe and equitable? Without considering these human and social factors, even the most innovative city concepts risk remaining utopian.

Optimistic visions of future cities are important, of course, especially given the pressing challenges of today’s world, but if they ignore the social, economic, and institutional realities that underlie urban life, they may fail to engage a rational audience and could even alienate it. Effective foresight should balance inspiration with grounded analysis, showing not only what is desirable but also what is plausible and actionable. Moreover, many perspectives on futures cities are often shaped by the widespread assumption that most of the world’s population will live in cities by 2050; however, recent experiences with pandemics and the rapid advancement of digital technologies suggest that alternative trajectories may emerge (Di Berardo, 2023). Increased remote work and digital connectivity could support a shift toward smaller, more self-sustaining communities, reducing dependence on large urban infrastructures, while virtual/augmented environments may allow physical cities to extend their cultural presence beyond their geographic boundaries.

Whatever our optimism or pessimism about future cities, they remain at the heart of humanity’s greatest opportunities and challenges. These large, permanent human settlements, characterized by dense populations, diverse functions, and organized infrastructures, serve as hubs of economic, social, and cultural activity. As urban areas grow and evolve, cities must navigate a complex interplay of global challenges, including climate change, pollution, urban sprawl, sustainability, and inequality, while simultaneously integrating emerging technologies, fostering social inclusivity, ensuring long-term resilience, and harmonizing development with the natural environment.

Cities are both victims of and major contributors to climate change, as highlighted in the 2024 UN-Habitat World Cities Report, with marginalized communities such as low-income groups, women, children, and minorities disproportionately affected. Without adequate action, cities are likely to face severe impacts from extreme weather events linked to climate change. However, these outcomes are not inevitable, the report says. The choices made today, particularly in reducing emissions through decarbonization and in strengthening adaptation by improving urban resilience, will largely determine the scale and severity of future impacts. With over 2 billion people living in cities at risk from rising temperatures, the report emphasizes the urgent need for climate resilience, recommending a comprehensive approach that considers both environmental symptoms and underlying social drivers of vulnerability.

While European cities may face population decline in the future, all of the world’s twenty largest megacities may be located in the developing world by 2100, facing the immense challenge of scaling up infrastructure and services, especially in Africa. Much of the world’s future urban growth is expected in megacities in the Global South, where regulatory frameworks and planning capacity are often limited. In these contexts, achieving sustainability, equity, and resilience presents profound challenges, highlighting the need for practical, enforceable policies alongside visionary frameworks. Futures Platform suggests four possible scenarios for megacities from an analysis of the main pivotal trajectories that could shape the future of urbanization in the decades ahead. One is that highly developed megacities evolve into global economic hubs, driven by technological, educational, and social progress, and attracting migrants and businesses. These cities lead in sustainable innovation, such as self-driving cars and circular economies, while narrowing the gap between the developed and developing worlds. In contrast, another scenario sees unchecked urban growth in developing countries leading to the rise of mega-slums. Rapid population growth exacerbates poverty, pollution, and crime around megacities, with public authorities struggling to cope, resulting in economic decline and worsening living conditions. A third scenario involves excessive political push for urbanization, creating artificial and dysfunctional megacities. With inadequate services, skyrocketing housing costs, and rising unemployment, these cities face a real estate bubble and eventual collapse, triggering a global financial crisis. Finally, in the fourth scenario, advancements in high-speed transport and digital connectivity shift the focus away from overcrowded urban centers. Rural areas experience a revival as people seek more sustainable lifestyles, aided by remote work and improved infrastructure, leading to a more equitable distribution of economic growth and reducing urban inequality.

The World Urbanization Prospect 2025 shows that the world is increasingly urban. However, while the number of megacities continues to rise, especially in Asia, more people live in small and medium-sized cities, many of which are growing rapidly but lack adequate planning capacity and resources. Urban growth is uneven, with some cities expanding and others shrinking, requiring differentiated policies. Towns and rural areas remain crucial for sustainable development but face challenges such as ageing populations and youth out-migration. Strengthening urban–rural linkages and adopting integrated planning across cities, towns, and rural areas are essential for sustainable development.

Future cities will be significantly shaped by key agreements and regulations that focus on sustainability, digitalization, inclusivity, and resilience, at global and regional levels . Among these, the UN SDG 11 focuses on making cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable, while the Paris Agreement on climate change encourages cities to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through initiatives like renewable energy, efficient urban transport, and green infrastructure. The UN New Urban Agenda aims at pursuing sustainable urbanization, improved housing, access to public services, and participatory urban governance, while the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction provides guidance to reduce disaster risks and build resilience globally. Many other regulations and initiatives have been released at different levels. For example, the European Green Deal sets ambitious goals for reducing carbon emissions and promoting a circular economy and the New European Bauhaus encourages cities to integrate sustainability, inclusion, and high‑quality design by combining environmental goals with social accessibility and aesthetic experience. In addition, the Doughnut Model (Raworth, 2012; 2017) offers a visual framework that defines a safe and just space between a social foundation and ecological ceilings, offering a holistic approach to sustainable development that integrates social and environmental dimensions. Coalitions of cities such as the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group and the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy are actively working to share best practices and drive collective action in the face of climate challenges. In addition, smart city frameworks and standards provide indicators and guidance for sustainable, resilient, and technologically advanced urban development. These initiatives guide cities in confronting climate change, rapid urbanization, and sustainability, helping shape a future that is more resilient, inclusive, and environmentally responsible.

As cities evolve, their future trajectories are shaped by various factors, including emerging technologies and shifting global trends. A future city is a vision of urban development that prioritizes sustainability, advanced technology, and the well-being of its residents, and it is defined by a set of key characteristics essential to its development and functionality (Kahachi et al, 2024). These include environmental sustainability through green technologies, renewable energy, and sustainable waste management practices, and the use of advanced technologies such as IoT, AI, and big data to improve urban management and quality of life. Innovative architectural, urban, and engineering design supports livability, and attractive spaces through human-centered planning that preserve local identity through foresight approaches. The well-being of residents, including health, safety, accessibility, and social inclusion, remain a core priority. Future cities are also engines of economic innovation, supported by fair and sustainable economic policies. Social equity and community engagement ensure that urban benefits are widely shared, while resilience to shocks such as climate impacts, natural disasters, and pandemics remains critical. Although opinions differ on how to balance these elements and implement them effectively, a common vision to achieve these goals integrates cutting-edge technologies, innovative design, and sustainable practices to create a more efficient, liveable, inclusive, and environmentally friendly urban environment, providing comprehensive solutions for a sustainable and prosperous urban future.

As technology grows increasingly central to these discussions, it also becomes clear that future cities cannot be defined by it alone but must also consider social, environmental, and human dimensions. Urban regeneration is a central process in shaping future cities, as it allows them to adapt, revitalize, and evolve in response to social, economic, and environmental challenges. By transforming underused or degraded areas, improving infrastructure, and fostering sustainable practices, regeneration contributes to creating urban environments that are more liveable, inclusive, and resilient. However, urban regeneration and planning should be understood as a multidimensional process: they should include social, economic, and environmental aspects but also ensure a forward-looking perspective that anticipate and address future trends, risks, and opportunities through strategic foresight. This perspective should also include the well-being of future generations (e.g. Weiss, 1989; Bell, 1993; Slaughter, 1994), as reflected in Pact for the Future adopted by the United Nations General Assembly. The approach recognizes the needs of future generations, ensures that they have fair access to natural, social, economic, and cultural resources, and accepts custodial responsibilities toward these resources to preserve them for those yet to come.

Although future cities are shaped by global trends, technologies, and policy frameworks, their trajectories are ultimately influenced by how these forces are interpreted and translated into action at the local level. This raises a key question: where do cities collectively reflect on these futures, test ideas, and connect long-term visions with concrete urban practice? One such space is the Ljubljana Forum on the Future of Cities, which offers a grounded setting in which many of these abstract scenarios are discussed, challenged, and operationalized. We will explore these ideas further in the next post of Futures Digest, focusing on how fifteen years of the Ljubljana Forum connected vision with practice.