{"id":38865,"date":"2021-02-17T09:48:18","date_gmt":"2021-02-17T08:48:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ferrovial.com\/blog\/?p=38865"},"modified":"2025-12-12T00:39:22","modified_gmt":"2025-12-11T23:39:22","slug":"cities-of-the-future","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ferrovial.com\/blog\/en\/2021\/02\/cities-of-the-future\/","title":{"rendered":"Cities Of The Future"},"content":{"rendered":"

As the famous urban activist\u00a0Jane Jacobs<\/a>\u00a0once wrote, \u201cCities have the capability of providing something for everybody, only because, and only when, they are created by everybody\u201d.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The implications of exponential tech on cities is vast, and in our lifetimes, we will see exciting developments that blur the lines between science fiction and reality. The future of cities will be an exciting place for innovation and disruption<\/strong>. There are some projects in this area that could be the perfect example of that:<\/p>\n

1) Sidewalk Labs<\/h2>\n

In October 2017, Sidewalk announced its plans to build a tech-centered neighborhood southeast of downtown Toronto. The project, said that the city will be \u201ca testbed for emerging technologies, materials and processes that will address these challenges and advance solutions that can be replicated in cities worldwide.\u201d Sidewalk Labs\u2019 plan was to spend $1.3 billion on mass timber housing, heated and illuminated sidewalks, public Wi-Fi, and, of course, a host of cameras and other sensors<\/strong> to monitor traffic and street life. Residents objected to the company\u2019s approach to privacy and intellectual property. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic has made the proposed project financially unviable.<\/p>\n

But in October 2020,\u00a0Sidewalk Labs\u00a0has launched Delve<\/strong>, a tool that uses\u00a0artificial intelligence\u00a0to create “millions of design possibilities” for urban developments in minutes. To create the basis for Delve designs, Sidewalks Labs made a starter model of core components typically used in neighbourhood developments that includes buildings, open spaces, amenities, streets, and energy infrastructure. By applying artificial intelligence<\/strong> to that model, Delve explores millions of design possibilities for a given project, measuring the impact of these designs.<\/p>\n

2) Toyota<\/h2>\n

Toyota revealed this year plans to build a prototype “city” of the future on a 175-acre site at the base of Mt. Fuji in Japan.<\/p>\n

Envisioned as a “living laboratory,” the Woven City will serve as a home to full-time residents and researchers who will be able to test and develop technologies such as autonomy, robotics, personal mobility, smart homes and artificial intelligence<\/strong> in a real-world environment. Toyota will extend an open invitation to collaborate with other commercial and academic partners and invite interested scientists and researchers from around the world to come work on their own projects in this one-of-a-kind, real-world incubator.<\/p>\n

Toyota is calling the site \u201cWoven City,\u201d a reference to weaving together three different types of streets<\/strong> or pathways, each for a specific type of user. One street would be for faster vehicles only. The second would be a mix of lower-speed personal mobility vehicles, like bikes and scooters, as well as pedestrians. And the third would be a park-like promenade for pedestrians only. \u201cThese three street types weave together to form an organic grid pattern to help accelerate the testing of autonomy,\u201d the company says.<\/p>\n

3) Dubai<\/h2>\n

Dubai Plan 2021 describes the future of Dubai through holistic and complementary perspectives, starting with the people<\/strong> and the society who have always been, and always will be, the bedrock of the city. The city has laid out 2021 goals that include:<\/p>\n