2050
GREEN
S PAC E S
Roof, sky and vertical
gardens will be more than
relaxation spaces, they’ll
capture carbon, produce
food, cool the air and the
buildings they clothe,
harvest rainwater and
provide habitats for wildlife.There will be a park within
walking distance of all
residential areas because
trees and green spaces
maintain biodiversity, cool
the air, soak up storm water
and improve our mental and
physical health.WAT E R
Permeable road surfaces
will drain water to prevent
flooding, while wetlands
(both natural and
constructed) collect and
clean rainwater for reuse.
Every building will also
gather rainwater in tanks
and rain gardens.By 2050, the world’s population will
have soared to 9.8 billion. Where will all
those people go? For nearly 70 per cent
of them, the answer is the city. According
to the UN, cities are where the struggle
for global sustainability “will either be
won or lost”. You might think we’ll need to
invent futuristic technologies to help
squeeze almost seven billion people into
our expanding metropolises while
ensuring they have enough energy, food
and water — not to mention without doing
any more damage to our climate — but
the good news is every single green
technology listed here already exists.
Governments just need to do more to
make sure we use them. So what will the
city of the future look like?THE
FUTURE
CITY
WE IMAGINE
HOW THE WORLD
COULD LOOK
IN JUST A FEW
DECADES...
COLLAGE BY
ALIA WILHELM#ELLEFUTUREISNOW