theceomagazine.com | 103WHEN YOU CAN BUILD YOUR PERFECT
CITY FROM THE GROUND UP, HOW
WOULD IT CHANGE HOW YOU DO
BUSINESS? LISA SMYTH ASKS THE
EXPERTS ABOUT THE SMART CITIES
POPPING UP AROUND THE WORLD, AND
HOW WE WILL WORK IN THE FUTURE.L
ondon, Sydney, New York, Tokyo – cities famous around the world
for their history, food and architecture, as well as for being centres of
international business.
But, have you heard of NEOM, Songdo or Belmont? These
names may soon trip off your tongue as easily as the great cities of the past
if the investors, planners and architects behind these new greenfield smart
cities have anything to say about it.
Currently, more than half the world lives in cities, and one person in
10 lives in a megacity – a city that is home to 10 million people or more.
According to some estimates, by 2050, six billion people will live and work
in cities. The challenges posed by such urbanisation are immense – how do
you even maintain clean air and water for so many people?
Cities around the world are frantically looking for ways to fix or change
existing infrastructure to ensure they can meet the demands of our rapidly
expanding world. But what if you could set up your business in a city built
from scratch? Would there be cost savings and productivity gains? Or would
you lose your seat at the global business table? »Smart builds | INNOVATE