After decades of urban depopulation, US cities are experiencing a reversing of that trend, led by millennials, 40 percent of whom say they plan to live their lives in urban settings. But families and empty nesters are moving to the city too, and for the first time since the 1920s, population growth in US cities is outpacing the growth of the suburbs. What will this reshaping of the American landscape mean for society? How will cities grow and change to accommodate new populations, a changing...

A generation ago, New York and Tokyo were the world's only megacities. By 2025, the UN predicts there will be 37. All but a handful will be in the developing world. The fate of millions, then, rests on the question: what will life in these megacities look like? While density is an almost universally celebrated urban characteristic, rapid population growth can also result in poorly planned, congested, and unsafe settlements, leading many to ask: Are slums the inevitable urban form of the...

When planning for the future of a city, where does culture fit alongside other prospective infrastructure needs? What cultural elements are required to ensure that a city remains dynamic and appealing? This panel will explore how cities can leverage investing in arts and culture to secure and maintain competitive advantage. Philip Kennicott, Kate Levin, Jamie Bennett, Rip Rapson, Jed Bernstein, Janet Echelman

Cities have always had to contend with things like natural disaster, economic and infrastructure collapse, and widespread illness. But globalization, climate change and rapid urbanization are making this moment in history different, and the stresses facing cities all the more complex. So how can cities survive, adapt, and grow, no matter what shocks might lie ahead? Join the Rockefeller Foundation’s Judith Rodin for a look at what she calls “the resilience dividend” — investments that can...

Airbnb does business in 34,000 cities, has a valuation of over 10 billion dollars, and in a very short time has disrupted the world of hospitality and travel. Its co-founder and CEO Brian Chesky envisions the future city as a place where sharing is front and center — where people become micro-entrepreneurs, the local mom and pops will flourish once again, where space isn’t wasted, but shared, and more of almost everything is produced, except waste. But the journey from here to there won’t be...

Jeff Speck has dedicated his career to determining what makes cities thrive. And he has boiled it down to one key factor: walkability. The very idea of a modern metropolis evokes visions of bustling sidewalks, vital mass transit, and a vibrant, pedestrian-friendly urban core. But in the typical American city, the car is still king, and downtown is a place that’s easy to drive to but often not worth arriving at.
Making walkability happen is relatively easy and cheap; seeing exactly what needs...

Innovation is fundamentally social. Study after study has shown that the best ideas are more likely to arise from a casual chat around the water cooler or coffee shop than any scheduled meeting. They’re the result of serendipity — a chance encounter at the right time by the right people, regardless of rank and affiliation. Serendipity is also what makes cities great (and so productive). Should we be managing for serendipity instead? And if so, what comes after the office? How can we create...

As we move deeper into the digital age, the public library is transforming itself for a knowledge-based society, and a new and more comprehensive vision for the public library is taking root. Networks of people and knowledge, not shelves full of books, will be at the center of the library and its mission. In the creative design of both its physical and virtual spaces, the public library will come to define what makes a great public space. John Palfrey, Tessie Guillermo, Sommer Mathis, Brian...

Sustainability is a good thing. But is it good enough? Join the co-founders of the Brooklyn-based design studio Terreform One at the intersection of design, engineering, and synthetic biology for a journey beyond sustainability. Glimpse the future of energy, transportation, infrastructure, waste treatment, food, and water as they explore the socio-ecological possibilities of New York City and solutions for urban environments like it around the world. Mitchell Joachim, Maria Aiolova

We are at an inflection point in the climate-energy debate. While old strategies to get a global agreement or implement carbon prices have failed, dramatic progress in energy technologies makes solving global climate change more feasible than ever. But innovative technologies in a gridlocked political system require fresh strategies. Renowned economist Eric Beinhocker and environmental thinker Hal Harvey will discuss new strategies for accelerating change to a cleaner, greener and better...

Urbanization and population growth have been proceeding at an exponential rate for the past two hundred years. Consequently, the future of humanity and our long-term sustainability are inextricably linked to the fate of our cities. Cities are simultaneously hubs for innovation, ideas, and culture, as well as engines of wealth creation, centers of power, and drivers of entrepreneurship and social transformation. But they are also the prime source of crime, pollution, disease, and energy and...