ABSTRACT
In 2007 50% of the world’s population lived in cities. That was a five fold increase from
10% in just a little over 100 years. It is projected that by 2050 the world’s population
will approach 9 Billion people of which 75% will live in cities. Currently there are a
dozen cities that exceed 15 million inhabitants.
The world’s climate has increased by 0.74 degrees Celsius (1.33 degrees Fahrenheit) in
the past 100 years. Presently the scientific consensus on climate change is that human
activity is very likely the cause for the rapid increase in global average temperatures over
the past several decades. Municipalities everywhere are increasing the height of the100
year flood plane code regulations.
This trajectory has dramatic consequences for the planning and design of our urban
environments. Civic Leaders, Planners, Designers, Architects, and Engineers will all
play an important role in assuring that our lives and environment remain in balance over
the coming years.
This presentation will focus on the key drivers to city building and will then show
examples of 3 projects that attempt to accomplish this.
