Smart Cities as Engines of Sustainable Growth

7/28/2019 Smart Cities as Engines of Sustainable Growth

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Smart Cities as Engines of Sustainable Growth

Dennis Frenchman, Leventhal Professor of Urban Design and Planning

Michael Joroff, Senior Lecturer

Allison Albericci, editor

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

prepared for the World Bank Institute

June 14, 2011

The 21st century is witnessing urbanization at an unprecedented rate. New cities are rising to meet

the demands of expanding populations seeking a higher quality of life, just as city-builders worldwide

begin to realize the stark ramifications of reproducing outdated urban models on a global scale. How to

meet the challenges of doing better, for more people, using fewer resources? Recent trends in digital

technology may offer some clues toward harnessing our cities potential as the new engines of sustainable

growth.

This paper challenges city planners, policy-makers and developers to think about urban growth in

the context of powerful new forces and opportunities that didnt exist in the past. It draws upon current

research at MIT and elsewhere involving advanced, city-scale development, and the interrelationships

among sustainability, digital technology, and city design.

Overview

After three decades of alarm over climate

change and natural resource depletion, real

measureable progress towards sustainable

developmentremainselusive.Todate,theglobal

policy debate has primarily focused on how to

promote sustainable development, most often

defined as economic growth achieved through

ever-cleaner industrial andenergyproduction. In

this paper we also consider the other side of

development: the physical and functional

organizationofthecity that influencesallhuman

activity and the efficiency of resource

consumption. The way in which cities are

organizedandoperatedhasanenormousimpact

on economic growth, energy requirements,

natural systems, and quality of life, yet thus far

therehas been little policy discussion,and even

less action to impel more sustainable (and

ultimately more productive) forms of urban

development.

Thestakesare exceedinglyhigh.According

to UN-HABITAT, the worlds cities emit almost

80%ofglobalcarbondioxide(UN-HABITAT,2005),leading the UKs Tyndall Center for Climate

Change Research to declare, the fate of the

Earths climate is intrinsically linked to how our

citiesdevelopoverthecomingdecades.(Oliver,

2007) The operative word in this statement is

how since not all forms of urban development


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are equal some are more efficient, consume

less, and in the future will be more productive

than others. Over the long term, the total

productive potential of any city or industry is

inexorably linked to efficient use of resources,

withvitalimplications.

Ascity-buildersworldwidebegintowrestle

with such realizations, urbanization in the

developing world continues to accelerate. The

United Nations estimates that China alone will

needtobuildnewcitiesaccommodatingover350

million people in the next 20 years (McKinsey,

2009;32).Overthesameperiod,250millionnew

urban dwellers are expected in India (McKinsey,

2010; 37) and 380 million in Africa (UnitedNations, 2008; 4). The amount of development

needed to meet this demand will organize

patternsofhumanbehavior,movement,business

operations,andurbansystemsthatwillpersistfor

decades, if not centuries. Astonishingly, unless

newstrategiesareadopted,muchofthisgrowth

will be constructed using a pattern of city form

invented in the early 20th century when, fuel

wascheap,landwasopen,theairwasclean,and

global population was one fifth of what it isprojected tobe in 2050. The early 20th century

citywasalsodesignedforfundamentallydifferent

typesofeconomicactivity,modesofproduction,

employment,andlifechoices.

We understand from experience in

developed countries that this kind of city,

replicated on a mass scale, consumes vast

quantities of resources and is highly inefficient.

Overtime,thisexcessiveconsumptionwillaffecttheenvironment,butitwillalsosapthecapacity

ofcitiestoinvestinmoreeconomically-productive

21st century enterprises. If more sustainable

formscanbedeployed,citieswillreapenormous

environmental, social, and economic benefits at

virtually no additional cost (since development

wouldoccurunderanycircumstances).

In other areas of human development,

organizational structures are now changing

dramatically. Newmodels of business, logistics,social interaction, and planning are emerging in

part because of the failure of obsolete systems,

andinpartbecauseofopportunitiesprovidedby

21st century digital systems and advanced

communicationtechnologiesthatarevastlymore

potent. These technologies can and will

increasingly be applied to the planning and

organizationofcities,offeringanewparadigmof

more productive and sustainable growth. This

scenarioraisessomefundamentalquestions:

What does it mean to plan sustainablecitiesinthe21stcenturycontext?

Are new urban forms, information, andorganizationalarrangementsneeded?

Given the unprecedented rate of changeandcomplexchallengesthatcitiesnowface,

are traditional plans and processes

established in more stable times still

effective? Dothoseresponsibleforourcitiesnowand

in the future need merely to perform

currenttasksbetterordotheyneedtobe

doing something else, something

transformative, to achieve sustainable

growth?

Thesequestionshighlightthechallengesto

achieving large scale, sustainable urban

development in the21st century. Some concern

thephysicalqualitiesofenvironment,whileothers

speak to the nature of organizations and

businesses thatwillplan andoperate it,and still

others address the integration of new forms of

digitalinformationandfeedback.Inall,wehave

identifiedsevenkeychallengestoachievingsmart,

sustainable urban growth. These challenges


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address theevolving formand function of cities,

the processes employed in their planning and

operation, and neworganizational arrangements

requiredforcity-makinginthiscentury.

Challenge1:AbandoningtheModernistIdeal, inwhichresourceswereplentifulandefficiencywas

achievedthroughstandardization,repetition,and

segregation of functions typically oriented

around the automobile. The 21st century city

requires the integration of uses, the blending

physicalandvirtualvenues,andthebalancingof

complex interrelationships among building use,

spatialorganization,andtravelbehavior.

Challenge2:BuildingaNetworkedEnvironment,

inwhichproliferatingdigitaltechnologyenablesa

more efficient approachto citymaking,whereby

physical, social, and economic systems are

interrelated and interdependent. Digital

technology is changing both the city-making

processandthewayinwhichpeopleusecities

connecting them to infrastructure, enterprises,

andtheirenvironmentasneverbefore.

Challenge 3: City Making as a Platform of

Innovation,whereexperimentation,feedbackand

refinement processes are incorporated into

everyday development and urban operation.

Opportunities to integrate new, sustainable

technologies and to prototype new patterns of

work,socialnetworkingandserviceprovisionare

croppingupinallcityvenues.

Challenge 4: City Making as a Platform for

Meaning, where cities use local knowledge and

cultureasasourceofinspiration.Thistraditionis

enhanced by ubiquitous communications and

advancedinformationtechnology,wherebymedia

amplifies the unique narrative of a people and

their environment, cultivating meaning for

residentsandvisitors.

Challenge 5: Managing Risk through Agility,

when sustainable growth is pushed to the

forefrontbyrisksthatcitiesnowfaceintermsof

growth, resource depletion and climate change.

These factors must now be recognized by city

planners and managed through times of

uncertainty.

Challenge 6: City Planning in Fast Time, when

managing urbanization requires unprecedented

speed in marshaling forces of development,

organizing players, analyzing context, developing

conceptsandplans,incorporatingpublicfeedback,

and implementing projects. As this pace

intensifies, city planning and building processes

willbecompressedintoever-tightertimelines,forwhich traditional, sequential development

processesareinadequate.

Challenge7:GrowingtheCityMakingEnterprise,

tomeetthenewchallengesandthefasterpaceof

transformative urban development. Thisrequires

new, synergistic alliances among technology

companies and universities (both newcomers to

thecity-shapingprocess,andtraditionalplanning

and development entities. Such expandedalliances portend the emergence of a new city-

making industry, suited to the unique needs of

differentregionsandtheircities.

Thesechallengesarediscussedinmoredetailon

thefollowingpages.


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Challenge 1: Abandoning the

Modernist Ideal

By in large, the patterns of urbanizationwitnessed in the developing world today are

versions of the modernist city designed in the

1920storeflecttheidealsofindustrializationand

toaccommodatethe(thennew)technologyofthe

automobile. Rooted in the Fordist mindset

where efficiency was achieved through

standardization,repetition,andthesegregationof

functions modernist cities were planned with

separated housing estates consisting of identical

buildings, shopping centers, recreation parks,

officeandindustrialdistricts, allorganizedwithin

a vast undifferentiated spacewhere thecarwas

free to roam. In this paradigm whether

manifested as urban towers-in-a-park or

suburban sprawl it is machines that link

togetherthevariousactivitiesofdailyliving.

Itisnosurprisethenthatthisformofcityis

particularly wasteful in terms resource

consumption.AstudyfortheEnergyFoundation

onMakingtheCleanEnergyCityinChina,now

underwayatMIT (FrenchmanandZegras,2010),

hasdemonstratedtherelationshipbetweenurban

design and energy performance in prototypical

neighborhood developments (using the city of

Jinanasatestcase).Thestudyislookingforthe

firsttimeattheconsumptionofenergybypeople

livingin differenturbanforms, involving complex

interrelationships among building operations,

spatial organization, construction, and travel

behavior. All things equal, the modern high-rise

tower-in-a-park form that we see proliferating

across China (and elsewhere in the developing

world)consumesnearlytwiceasmuchenergyas

traditional mixed use neighborhoods at similar

densitiesdevelopedoncity blocks.Other studies

have shown that modernist, sprawled, low rise,

singleuse suburbandevelopmentsdependenton

the car are equally consumptive. In an era of

dwindlingresourcesandrisinggreenhousegases,

the modernist city (and lifestyle) conceived as

progressive in the 1920s is instead highly

inefficientandultimatelyuntenable.

Many developing countries are now

adopting ambitious policy goals for reducing

greenhouse gas emissions and the impact of

economic activities on the environment. For

example, China aims to improve the energy

efficiency of its economic output by up to 45%

over2005bytheyear2020;India,by25%;Brazil

by39%;Mexicoby30%. (WRI,2010) Themeans

identified to reach these goals focus mainly on

cleaner energy and industrial production.However,whileconservationiscalledfor,thefull

impactofurbanformasthedriverofconsumption

has hardly been considered. This may be

attributed to a lack ofknowledge amongpolicy-

makers about the built environment in general,

but is primarily due to a blind embrace of the

modernist ideal as the only progressive way to

build. We will need to abandon the singular

adherence to this ideal in favorofmore diverse

modesof city-makingifthepolicygoalsaretobereached.

Left to market forces, a shift in the

dominantpatternofdevelopmentmayeventually

occur on its own, due to rising energy costs,

demographictrends,andchangingmodesofwork

and living.Buttodayweareina racewithtime,

since urbanization once built will establish

patternsofactivityandhumanbehaviorthatwill

last far into the future as long as theenvironment exists (retrofit is impossible at this

scale). Furthermore, we will have lost the

opportunity to improve sustainability at virtually

no cost, since growth will occur under any

circumstances.Tojumpstartthetransformation,a

newpolicyregimeisneeded.


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However, if we look at current policy and

practice related to sustainability and the built

environment, almost all effort has been focused

on the scaleof the individual building.Wehave

Energy Star in the US offering incentives for

insulated windows, for example, the voluntary

LEED rating system for sustainability, and other

efforts worldwide. While important, such

measures are on track to reduce total energy

consumption by just 1-2% (Block, 2004; 87-99).

Butsavingsfromeventhemostefficientbuildings

mean little if they are set within an inefficient

urbancontext.Toillustratethepoint,theenergy

savings offered by, say, more efficient air-

conditioners, amount to little if occupants must

useelevatorsandprivatecarsjusttogetaloafof

bread. To grow sustainable cities, we need to

widentheframeofpolicyandpracticetothescale

ofurbandevelopmentthatistheneighborhood

scale. This is the scale at which urbanization is

actuallyhappeningone(everlarger)projectata

time.

While we can argue to abandon the

modernist ideal of city making, from a policy

perspective what is there to replace it with?Atpresent,thereisnoidealmodelforthebestform

ofsustainablecitynor dowe advocate one. In

rush tourbanize, any modeldeemed to bethe

rightmodel stands tobe repeated endlessly, to

thedetriment of culturaldiversity, livability, and

we will argue later, to sustainability itself. The

concept that environmental policy should be

basedonmodeldevelopmentformsorminimum

designstandardsisinitselfamodernistinvention,

the limitations of which are clear when we

observetheuniformcharacteroflargescale,rapid

growth.Acrosstheglobefromroads,towater

systems, to housing the minimum standard

becomes the maximum provided and endemic

flawsarerepeatedoverandover.

Inthecaseofsustainabledevelopment,the

challengeistodevisemorewaysofachievingit

notfewerthatmayvaryfromsitetosite,cityto

city, climate to climate. In fact, there are many

avenues to sustainability, as shown in a global

scan of clean energy neighborhoods recently

conductedbyMIT(FrenchmanandZegras,2010;

38). The study identified six prototypical urban

forms with eleven variations, and more in the

making.Each prototype embodies a complexset

of tradeoffs among movement, materials,

operations, and organization to achieve

sustainability.Tofacilitatesuchdiversity,MIThas

proposedtocreateasetoftoolsandmeasuresof

developmentperformancesuchasanEnergyPro-

formathatcouldbebroadlyadopted.Thetools

willenabletheenergyperformanceofprojectsto

be quantitatively compared so that policy for

sustainable urban development may be

established, while leaving local communities,

developers and designers to create their own

place-specific solutions. Beyond the

environmental benefits, this is also a way to

encouragetestingandexperimentationleadingto

new approaches that are sorely needed at this

juncture. And,aswesuggestinthenext sections,

therealmforexperimentationandtheavenuesto

achieve sustainable urban development have

expandeddramaticallyfromthemodernistera.

ModernistdevelopmentinShanghai.(ThePerfectImage)


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Challenge 2: Building a Networked

Environment

The advent and proliferation of digitaltechnology offers an alternative, more efficient

approachtocitymaking,inwhichphysical,social,

and economic systems are interrelated and

interdependent.Intheprocess,digitaltechnology

changeshowpeople usecities, connecting them

to infrastructure, enterprises, and their

environmentasneverbefore.

Thisisincontrasttothe20thcenturyideal

of city-making based on spatial separation of

urbanfunctionsintodistrictsthatrequiretravelto

enableeventhemostbasicprocessesofdailylife

and the functioning of industry and commerce.

The21stcenturyparadigmistoconcentrateand

mix people in highly interconnected ways, both

physicallyanddigitally.Thishasmanyadvantages

forsustainabilityandproductivity:

Itreducestheamountoftravelneededfordaily life, since many functions from

shopping tobusinessmeetings tomedical

consultationscantakeplaceonline;

Itencourageswalkingasaprimarymodeoftransportation, since services and social

interactions that benefit from propinquity

canbelocatednearbyaspartoftheurban

mixaswasthecaseinpre-moderncities

andneighborhoods;

Urbansystemstrafficflow,wasteremoval,public lighting, etc. can be managed

digitallyinrealtimetoprovideservicesonly

whenandwhereneeded,ratherthanover-

engineeredtoaccommodatepeakdemands;

Builtspacesservedbydigitalmediabecomemoreagileandcanservemultiplefunctions,

intensifyingtheiruse.

Feedbackonperformancecanbebuiltintothe system, so that people and

organizationscanadjusttheirbehaviorand

consumptioninrealtime.

Iteliminatestheembodiedandoperationalenergythatwouldberequiredtoconstruct

and maintain partsof the city that are no

longerneededbecausetheirfunctionshave

been replaced by digital transactions in

virtualvenues.

The potential efficiencies to be gained by

suchintegrationsofthedigitalandphysicalrealms

are remarkable. For example, it has been

estimated that approximately 30% of the fuel

used by cars in cities comes from searching for

parking(SFMTA,2010).Smartparkingsystemscan

eliminate this inefficiency by assigning parking,which is dynamically priced, then guidingdrivers

to their spaces. Beyond this, managed street

systemscansensetheflowoftraffic,andchange

signageandlanemarkingstomaximizeutilization

of the system. In an MIT Media Lab project

sponsored by General Motors, electric vehicles

can fold and stack at the curb, where they are

recharged,andmobilityispurchasedondemand,

asfromavendingmachine.Thesesharedelectric

vehicles consume much less energy thanconventional cars, but also consume much less

parking and road space up to 25% less, since

theytakeuplessspace,andfewerareneededto

provide equivalent levels of service (Mitchell,

Borroni-BirdandBurns,2010).

Suchagileinfrastructurecanmakeourday-

to-day interaction with the city both more

efficient and more productive (in terms of land

andresourcesconsumed).Inexistingcities,digitalsystems canachievethesebenefitsat vastly less

cost than rebuilding or expanding physical

infrastructure theonlywaytoimproveservices

inthepast.Incontemporaryurbanization,digital

systems facilitate higher density environments


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that finely mix the functions of living, working,

learning,andrecreation.

WilliamJ.Mitchellcontrasted20thcentury

urban systems of distribution, processing, and

wastedisposalwhichdeliverstandardizedserviceson a mass scale, with 21st century digital

infrastructureswhicharesmall,unobtrusive,and

can respond individually to different people and

places (Frenchman, Amendola, Beamish and

Mitchell, 2009). The two generations of systems

satisfy urban functions in different ways the

formerbycoordinatedmovementsinwhichmost

peoplelive,work,andplayonthesameschedule

traveling to discrete areas of the city for each

separate function; the latter by disaggregatedmovements and locating the activities of life

simultaneously in space and time, linked by

asynchronous digital media. This time-share

strategyincreasesspatialproductivity,sincespace

maybeusedformultiplepurposesonamoreor

less continuousbasis, rather than dedicated toa

singularpurposeandthereforevacantmostofthe

time.

The enormous opportunities for costsavings, efficiency gains, and increased personal

satisfaction have not been lost on cities, or

technology companies. For example, Cisco

Systems has invested heavily in its Connected

Cities initiative and is partnering with several

citiesworld-widetobeginimplementation:

Cisco envisages a future where successful

communities and cities will run on networked

information, andwhere informationtechnology

willhelptheworldbettermanageitsenergyand

environmental challenges. Cities of the future,

andmanyinnovativecitiesnow,areaddressing

the issues andopportunities of this newworld

bythinking about the network asthe platform

for economic development, better city

managementandanimprovedqualityoflifefor

citizens.Everythingconnectedtothenetworkin

these smart+connected communities can be

greener.(WimElfrink,chiefglobalizationofficer

andexecutivevicepresident,2009)

The company projects that cities may reduce

overall energy consumption by asmuch as 30%

through online transactions and new forms of

collaboration.

IBM has made a similar business commitment

with its Smarter Cities program, advancing

solutionsforintelligenttransportation,education,

development, utilities, healthcare, and public

safety:

Rising to the challenges and threats to

sustainabilityrequiresacitytobemorethanjustfocused or efficient; it will require the next

generation of city to emerge one based on

smarter systems. These systems are

interconnectedpeopleandobjectscaninteract

in entirely new ways. These systems are

instrumented the exact condition of the

systemsdifferentpartscanbemeasured.These

systems are intelligent cities can respond to

changes quickly and accurately, and get better

results by predicting and optimizing for future

events.(DirksandKeeling2010,13)

Technology companies see cities as markets in

which they can: 1) build the wiredand wireless

infrastructure that make cities digital; 2) design

and manage infrastructure systems; and, 3)

provide applications that digitally enhance an

array government and private services to the

public. There should be little surprise in this

interest:theinvestmentbankCIBC,estimatesthat

citieswillspend$30trilliononsuchinfrastructureoverthenext30years(Boudreau,9June2010).


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Challenge 3: City-making as a

Platform for Innovation

As the pace of growth and changeaccelerates, thetraditionalwaysthatcitiesadapt

arebecominglessandlessviable.Inthepast,new

organizationsandnewformsofinfrastructure,like

theurbanexpressway,tookagenerationormore

to be designed, accepted, and incorporated into

cities. Today we find experimentation and

feedback being incorporated into the act of

everydaydevelopment.Notjustintheexotichigh-

end projects, but in common places as well.

Opportunities to integrate new sustainable

technologiesandbusinessesarecroppingupinall

venuesofthecity.

Evidenceofthisparadigmshiftcanbefound

in the growing network of cities that call

themselves living laboratories. Seeking greater

adaptability, cities see their urban fabric as a

testing ground for open-ended experimentation,

inviting businesses, institutions, even users to

proposeinnovations,testprototypesandevaluate

multiplesolutions.Amongtheearlylivinglabswas

Arabianranta in Helsinki, where residents,

businesses, andschools linked themselves into a

newformofdigital-physicalcommunitytermed

theVirtualVillageintegratingtheinternet,cell

phones, and digital TV. In three years, the

EuropeanNetworkofLivingLabshasgrownfrom

ahandfulofprojectsintoaformalassociationof

212cities,withastaffheadquarteredinBrussels

(ENOLL,2010).

Theideaofusingthecityasaplatformforinvention is not new. Urban innovation has

typically emerged during periods of rapid

technologicalandsocialchange.Inthe1820s,for

example,themilltownofLowell,MAembodieda

newformofcity,designedanddevelopedbyearly

corporations to facilitate water-powered

industrial production. Meticulously divided into

functional zones,with daily life regulated by the

clock, rawmaterialswere converted into printed

cloth in the worlds first modern factories. The

LowellSystemwasfedbyinventionssuchasthe

turbine and a sophisticated energy distribution

system, products of the first technology

laboratories.ThenewindustrialsysteminLowell

was paralleled by a new social order in which

institutions the earliest high school, savings

banks,andunionsweredevelopedtomeetthe

needsof mill girls separated fromtheir families

to work in the factories. This combination of

capital, energy, and technology, within a new

social and physical order created an engine of

economicgrowthunparalleledinitstime.Working

condition and labor exploitation issues

notwithstanding,Lowellbecameoneofthemost

competitivecitiesontheplanetdevelopingfrom

open fields to a city of almost 50,000 within 20

years.

Lowell,MA,c1875.

Today, urbanization is occurring morerapidly and on a much larger scale. Observers

pointinawetoChinaandIndia,whichwillneedto

buildthousandsofcitiesoverthenext20years.It

isnaturaltoassumethatthesewillbeplannedlike

themodernistcitiesweknowbutperhapsnot.If

weconsideranotherstatisticofurbanization,that


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India is adding 20 million mobile phones per

month, another picture begins to emerge (Lacy,

13 May 2010). The roll-out of this new urban

infrastructure is occurring at unprecedented

speed,yetremarkably,withoutanyplan.Aswith

Lowell, the new technology brings powerful

capabilitiestochangesocialinteractions,waysof

doingbusiness,andtheformofurbanlife.

Indications that business may not be as

usualinIndiacanbeseenintheurbaninnovations

that are multiplying along with the phones. To

pickanexample,SMSONEprovidesincomingtext

messagesonverylocalnewstopoorpeopleliving

in rural villages: The weather will be cool

todayscroppricesat themarketarelow thebusiscomingnowthewaterwillbeturnedon

in ten minutes. Information is supplied by an

entrepreneurial network of youth reporters,

providingthemasourceofincomesupportedby

local advertising, itself a service. Since its

establishmentjustafewyearsago,SMSONEnow

countsover400,000readersin400communities

(Lacy,30Nov.2009).

The success of SMSONE has been enabledby another new company, VNL which has

developedaverycheap,rocksoliddurable,solar-

powered microwave station that almost anyone

can assemble and deploy. The devices extend

existingmobileservicefootprints,enablingphone

serviceineventhemostremotelocationsatvery

low cost. Cited asone of the Worlds50Most

InnovativeCompanies by FAST Company,VNL is

now rolling out the technology in Latin America

and has plans to expand into major cities,challengingtraditionalproviders.

Examples such as these defy the notion

dating back toLowell that urban innovation is

controlledbythepowerfulandmustbedelivered

fromthetopdown.Digitalinfrastructureoffersa

different paradigmbecause it is ubiquitous. The

challengeforcitybuilderspublicandprivateis

to view the entire city as both a market and a

source for technological innovation. The extents

ofthischallengemultiplywhenoneconsidersthat

allurbansystemsarebecomingintelligentfrom

elevators to taxis, sewers to streetlights. Each

systemisbeingtransformedthroughtheaddition

of sensors and wireless access enabling

management and coordination in real time. Not

onlyis thisis a vastlymore efficient, sustainable

waytooperatethecity,butalsoitpresentsnew

paradigmsforservicesandproductsthatwenow

findbeingtestedinthepublicrealm.IntheSeoul

Digital Media City, for example, LG is

experimenting with intelligent streetlights that

respondtopeopleandevents;inZaragoza,Spain,

digitallyresponsivewaterhasbecomeanactivator

ofpublicspaces;andhighlyintelligentbussystems

are being deployed in cities from Bogota,

Columbia to Florence, Italy. Across the globe,

these scattered efforts are multiplying and will

accumulateovertimetoformadifferentkindof

city.

VNLbasestationandnetworkstrategy.(VNL)


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Challenge 4: City-making as a

Platform for Meaning

One of the persistent complaints aboutmodernist development is that it all looks the

samefromShenzhentoAbuDhabi,Bangaloreto

LA.Thisismorethananaestheticobservation.By

valuing the universality of standardized

appearanceandperformance, themodernist city

seeks to erase differences and eschew local

meaning.

Incontrast, the emerging digitalcityseeks

out local knowledge and culture as a source of

value and inspiration. This is a consequence of

ubiquitous communications andadvancedmedia

thatcantransmitlocalcontentimmediatelyacross

the planet. Through transmission, the unique

narrative of a people and their environment is

imbuedwithamplifiedmeaningbothforresidents

and for a potential global audience. As David

Harvey first observed, information technology is

encouraging communities to return to their pre-

modern roots, when environments were

individually shaped by local inhabitants and

culture(Harvey,1990;285-307).Thechallengefor

city-makersistoharnessthisrediscoveredsource

of value as an engine for positive economic

growth.

InresearchonNewCenturyCities,wefound

thatastrongnarrativeisakeytoolofintegration,

acentralfunctionofthenewcity-makingindustry:

As the urbanization, growth and development

processbecomesmorefragmented,theneedfor

a narrative to coalescethe enterprise becomes

more important. All of the advanced NCC

projectswehavestudiedhavesuchanarrative.

Moreflexiblethanamasterplan,moreinspired

thanguidelines,narrativesspeaktothepurpose

ofaprojectbeyondthebricksandthemortar.It

istheantidotetouniformityandstandardization

In the hands of a skilled integrator, the

narrativebecomesawell-springofcreativeideas

that serves the project as a whole, even as it

respects the objectives of individual

stakeholders. (Joroff, Frenchman and Rojas,

2009;9)

Contemporary urban narratives are moving

beyond traditional themes to produce rich and

varied resources for growth. The massive new

development twofour54 in Abu Dhabi, for

example,isdrivenbysuchanarrative:

...to enable the development of world class

Arabic media and entertainment content, by

ArabsforArabs,andtopositionAbuDhabiasa

regional center of excellence across all mediaplatforms, including film, broadcast, music,

digitalmedia,events,gamingandpublishingA

symbolofAbuDhabiscommitmenttodeliveron

the Emirates 2030 economic vision, (Joroff,

FrenchmanandRojas,2009;9)

which is to move beyond oil into more

diversified 21st century economic growth. This

narrative in turn has helped to shape the

institutions of the city and give meaning to its

innovativepublicrealm,whichisbeingconceivedasasettingnotonlyforday-to-dayactivitiesbut

alsoformedia productionengaging thosewho

live,work,andvisitthesiteinbothexperiencing

andmakingcontemporaryArabianculture.Sucha

participatoryundertakingisonlypossiblethrough

digitaltechnology.

Twofour54isjustoneofacollectionoflarge

scale, media themed projects now under

construction, including: Digital Media City inSeoul, on track to house 66,000 media workers

and20,000residentsby2014;MediaCity:UK,near

Manchesterwhere the BBC ismoving its central

operationsfromLondon;andtheDigitalCreative

City being planned around the film industry in

Mexico. Elsewhere, new communities and


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industry clusters are emerging around other

narratives:Arabianranta,mentionedearlier,grew

around the story of Finish art and design. One

North, in Singapore is being built around the

theme of life sciences. Masdar, in Abu Dhabi is

striving to become a global cluster of clean-

technologyindustriesandresearch.

The message of these projects is that to

create value in urbanization, the narrative

meaning counts on several levels. First, it can

assistindifferentiatingtheprojectfromtheseaof

anonymousdevelopment; second,it canshapea

cluster of businesses and industries that will

provide jobs and economic growth. Third and

perhaps most importantly, in an increasinglycompetitive global labor market, a strong

narrative canhelp attractskilledprofessionals to

liveintheplace,thuscultivatingsocialcapital.In

short, a strong narrative can help to unite

residents, businesses,students andothers into a

functioningcommunitywith sharedmeaningand

purpose.

It is relevant to note that the theme of

sustainability in one form or another isincreasinglyprevalentinnewurbannarratives.All

of the projects mentioned above describe

themselves as highly sustainabledevelopments,

withstrongjustification.SeoulDMCispoweredby

methanegasfromtheformerlandfillonwhichitis

built;MediaCity:UK is theworlds first BREEAM

community (a globally recognized assessment of

sustainability);andMasdarisproposedtobecome

the first zero emission city, powered by

photovoltaics, and excluding automobiles.Whileadmittedly these are specialized examples, they

suggestthattheintegrationofsustainablegrowth

into the place narrative is important if broad

advancement towardsmore efficient, productive

urbanizationistobeachieved.

Particularly important is the impact

narrativescanhaveonhumanandorganizational

behavior, a critical factor in the overall

sustainability equation. In MITs study of clean

energycommunitiesworld-wide,itwasfoundthat

themostsuccessfulcasesengagedpeopledirectly

in the program of reducing energy use

(Frenchman and Zegras, 2010; 48). To do this,

communities focused on making energy

consumption and performance visible in the

public realm, while obtaining feedback from

peopleontheirlevelofcomfortandsatisfaction.

Thesamedigitalmediaand communications that

are encouraging the development of local

narratives can simultaneously be harnessed as

mediumsoffeedbackandinteractiontoshapethe

attitudes and behavior of people and groups.

Many studies have shown that such real-time

engagementcanchangepeoplesenergybehavior

(Darby, 2006; 3). And so, for the sustainable

narrativetosucceed,itneedstobepersonalized.

Inhabitants need to feel that what they do

matters.

Advanceduserinterfaceforresponsiveenergyfeedback.(Masdar)


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Challenge 5: Managing Risk through

Agility

Thenarrativeofsustainablegrowthisbeingpushed to the forefront by the unprecedented

risksthatcitiesnowface.Foremostamongthese

isthesheerscaleofurbanization,itself.Thetask

ofdevelopinghomes,water,sanitation,transport

andemploymentwilleclipse allformerwaves of

city making. Another major risk is posed by

climate change, with its dual consequences: sea

level rise most urbanized areas are on the

seacoast and increasingly powerful weather

incidents floods, storms, and drought

(Rosenweig, et al , 2009; 24). The challenge of

confronting these intensified risks with

diminishing resources of land, water, food, and

fuelisunprecedented.

As cities grew in the past, they learned to

confront existential challenges through

increasingly large-scale engineering and

mechanical systems: higher flood walls, larger

landfills, wider highways, more extensive water

andsewersystems,tallerhousingprojectseach

designedandmanagedbyadifferentorganization

seekingtomaximize itsparticularobjectives and

minimize risk of failure. Many observers have

suggestedthatwemaynowbereachingthelimits

ofthisparadigm.FromtrafficgridlockinBeijingto

breeched levees inNewOrleans, there is ample

evidenceofthe limitationsinherent inmodernist

forms of infrastructure. Economic and political

forcesoften laybehind these situations,but just

as often they occur because engineering design

and location decisions are made from singular

points of view, without due regard to systemic

consequences. This same lack of regard for

interdependency among disparate functional

elementsmarkstheunderperformanceofmodern

citiesingeneral,evenastheynowseektobecome

moresustainable.

An alternative vision would see cities that

are integrated,agile, responsive andadaptive to

changingconditions,eitherdrasticorgradual,that

will inevitably come behaving more like living

systems than inanimate objects. But to achieve

this visionwould demandmuch greater levelsof

integrationinthedesign,management,andreal-

time operation of urban systems than we

currently have. This can only be provided by

insertingtheequivalentofanervoussysteminto

thecity.

In a sense, such systems are now being

devised and implemented as digital capabilities

are introduced across the whole spectrum of

urbanfunctions.Aswithlivingthings,thisnervoussystem will enable not only more agile

management of functions,but also amore agile

physical structure enhancing performance and

reducingrisk.

From a management perspective, agile

development aims to avoid both failure and

underperformance, not by seeking perfection in

plans or actions (indeed, agile approaches

understand that this is not possible) but bybuilding flexibility and resiliency into structures

andorganizationalresponses.Thekeyobjectiveis

to anticipate underperformance and missed

targets even if theirprecise nature and timing

cannot bepredicted and be ready to respond

andadapt.

Agile development also anticipates

continuous improvement. It begins with

stakeholderscollaboratinginarigorous,systemic

co-design of interrelated elements so that each

entity isaware of theassumptionsthatunderlay

theplanand the interrelations among elements.

This is the cornerstone of agility. Launching

prototypes and rehearsals in situ, and learning

fromtheoutcomes,preparesthepartiestoactin


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concert if problems arise, and strengthens their

abilitytoco-createasprojectsprogress.

The key ingredients of this paradigm are:

transparency, monitoring, feedback, and the

abilitytoquicklyadapttochangingcircumstances.Among these, transparency of information is the

most essential. Systemic interrelationships and

organizational interdependencies need to be

apparent to provide a base of mutually shared

knowledge around which disparate groups can

cometogethertodevelopstrategiesandtoactin

waysthatarelean,fast,andinnovative.

Co-creation similarly lays the groundwork

formultiplepartiestoengageoneanotheracross

functional and jurisdictional lines. Participants

gain common knowledge which helps to build

shared ability and responsibility for outcomes

among stakeholders andprovidesguideposts for

system operation and recovery. This knowledge

andsharedownershipof ideashelpstoeliminate

the fragmentation of interests that frequently

occurs between government and the private

sectororganizations.At thesametime,rolesand

responsibilities are clarified, making it easier toexecutetheagreementsandprocessesthatalign

interestsandpriorities.Alliancesareenhanced.

From a design perspective, agile urban

developmentoffersawayofsteppingbackfrom

the dilemma of ever-larger infrastructure,which

has become increasingly expensive to build and

maintain, and ever more intrusive as wider

highways cut up the landscape and taller dikes

separate people from their natural settings. By

contrast, agile development seeks tounderstand

andworkwith natureratherthanconfronting it;

to interconnect systems so they function more

efficiently; to make multiple use of space and

facilities so they aremore productive; to deliver

servicesonlywhenandwhereneeded;toproduce

locally rather than centrally, thereby minimizing

distribution; and to provide flexibility to evolve

withchangingcircumstances.

Using these principles, efforts are now

underway to make the infrastructure of existing

citiesmoreadaptabletochange.ArecentstudyoftheeffectsofclimatechangeonNewYorkCity,for

example, pinpointed anticipated impacts on

transit, water, sewer, power, and other

infrastructureandproposedstrategiestoadapt

(Rosenweigetal,2009).Theserangefrommoving

vulnerablefacilities,todesigningmoreintelligent

structures and response mechanisms that can

anticipateeventsandinitiateprecautions.

Innewgrowth,morefundamentalchanges

are possible from the start. Integrated sensor

networkscangiveagreaterunderstandingof the

functioning of complex natural systems and the

potential impacts of development. In extreme

cases, the same sensors can be used to track

failures as they occur, mitigating the

consequences by adjusting infrastructure (if so

designed) or warning potential victims. For

example, a Tsunami sensingsystemproposed by

MITsSENSEableCityLabwouldsendwarningsbymobile phone to all people in low lying areas,

givingthempreciousminutestoprepare.

In architecture and real estate, agile,

multipurposeuseoflandandfacilitiesisagrowing

theme,sinceitenhancesthevalueofbuiltspace

andreducesdevelopmentrisk.Thehomecanbea

workplace, a doctorsoffice, a place of learning,

andanentertainment venue.A sportsarena can

be a convention center, a shopping experience,

andthepublicsquare.Officescan accommodate

recreation, health care, even living space. Such

agility is enabled by advanced communications

andvisualmediathatcanvirtuallyconnectpeople

andplaces.Inthisnewrealm,physicalandvirtual

experiencesco-exist, sometimes substituting one

fortheother,sometimesblendingincontinuously


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14

evolving ways. This aspect of agility was not

possibleevenadecadeago.

On an urban scale, multi-use concepts of

city-making are gradually replacing the single

purpose districts promoted in 20th centuryplanning. Flexible spaces that accommodate

multiple activities can be used more intensively

thanthosededicatedtoasinglepurposesuchas

classrooms that are vacantmuch ofthe time. In

the same vein, districts that integrate multiple

uses are more efficient and livable, as well as

morediversifiedandthereforelessvulnerableto

long-term economic and social change. To

understand the limitations of single purpose

districts, one need only look at the vast formerindustrialareasabandonedincitiesaftertheshift

fromanindustrialtoaninformationeconomy.

Thenewinformationeconomyisinherently

more agile than the one it replaced, since

productioncanoccurandvaluecanbecreatedin

awidevarietyof disaggregated places indoors

andout.Thissuggestsaformformoresustainable

cities in which productive capacity is entwined

acrossanurbanfabricoffinegrainedmixeduse.Such agile environments are more efficient and

livable, since all activities areclose tohand, and

alsolessrisky,sincethefailureofanygeographic

area has less impacton thesystem.Encouraging

this alternative, agile form of urbanization in

developingcountriesisakeychallenge.

HurricanefloodriskinNewYorkCity.(Rosenweig etal,2009)

Challenge 6: City Planning in Fast

Time

TheKoreanshaveaphrasethatcapturesthe

rapid urbanization of their country: pali pali,

(translated as hurry, hurry). Pali pali also

expressesthechallengeofmanagingurbanization

inagrowingmultitudeofcitiesaroundtheworld.

In suchcities, thepace nowrequired tomarshal

theforcesof development toorganize players,

analyze context, develop concepts and plans,

incorporate public feedback, and implement

projectsonthegroundisunprecedented.Asthis

pace intensifies, city planning and building

processes are compressed into ever-tightening

timelines and feedback loops, rendering the

traditional, sequential development process

completely inadequate. The city founded on

modernist principles, planned today, designed

nextyear,andbuiltoverthecourseofadecade,

emerges already a century behind the curve. In

this context, conventional sequential planning

models are being abandoned in favor of

simultaneous, customized, and adaptive

processes. This same need for immediacy, also

serves to explain the desire in many cities to

harnesscommunicationstechnologyandreal-time

planning methods to engage and empower

citizens in the policy making processes

underpinning both environmental and social

sustainabilityinitiatives.

Information and communication

technologies are already accelerating many city-

buildingprocesses,allowingagrowingnumberof

decisionsanddesignmodificationstobemadeas

the need arises. The combination of

environmental sensors, wireless networks, radio

frequency ID tags, and CATV, coupled with

automated computer algorithms dramatically

changes the information milieu within which

planningtakesplace,enablingcity-makerstoview


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thephysical andvirtualformsandfunctioningof

the city in real-time and with a degree of

specificity that was previously impossible. Real-

time data reveals complex relationships and

interfacesamongpeople,including:

Publicandprivatemovementpatterns; Wastemanagementflow; Patterns of communication among people

within neighborhoods and between

neighborhoodsandothercountries;

Twenty-four hour patterns of shopping inretail districts and in the virtual

marketplace;

Individual, family and neighborhoodresourceconsumption;and

As digital technology uncovers the

multifaceted innerworkingsof thecity,including

the real time behavior of systems and people,

patternscanberecognized,studied,andactedon.

Furthermore,diversescenarioscanbemodeledto

test the impact of alternative development

options, using the city, itself. For example, in

Rome, MITs SENSEable City Lab is tracking the

movement of all buses, taxis, and pedestrianssimultaneously, enabling the city to dynamically

tunetransportationsupplytodemand,andtotest

newstrategiesinthereal-timecontext.Thedata

required for these tasks is derived from mobile

phoneusagewithnoneedfora special purpose

infrastructure. As such capabilities expand, the

sequential planning cycle data collection,

analysis, design and implementation is being

replaced by flexible strategies that observe,

launchandlearn.Asaconsequence,thenotionofa fixed master plan is giving way to a set of

strategic visions that initiate agile developments

whicharecontinuouslymonitored,evaluatedand

adjusted.

Inthespiritoflaunchandlearn,anumber

of city-scale projects have been initiated around

the world which involve integrative, future-

oriented planning. These are platforms for

innovationnow,evenbeforemoreencompassing

global,nationalandcitywidepolicies aredecided

or technology isavailable to fully implement the

vision. Many examples of such projects are

underway, launched under a variety of banners,

including: ubiquitous or U-cities; smart cities;

newcenturycities;connected,eco,orgreen

cities. Although each project has its own value

proposition, they are similar in testing new

approaches to technology integration, city

planning and management, and organizational

alliances.

Some of the most advanced examples ofthese projects may be the so called U (for

ubiquitoustechnology)-citiesinKorea,whichhave

been elevated to the level of a national

developmentpriority:

U-cities(e-cities)areseenastheeconomicfocus

and showcase for the next generation global

growthenginethatwillachieveworldleadership

for Koreas ICT industry and its construction

industryThishasledtoaplethoraofsmartcity

projects across the country. Seoul commenced

planningofitsSanghamDigitalMediaCity(DMC)

as far back as 1992, and completion is due in

[2014].SanghamDMCsgoalistobecometheIT

industrial center (global leadership) for digital

media and entertainment in NE Asia. This has

been followed by a cluster of developments

around Seoul Paju, Kwanggyo, Hwasung,

Yongin and one of the largest and most

ambitiousdevelopmentsofallthe$128billion

(15% of Koreas GDP) Incheon Free Economic

Zone(IFEZ),1HourSouthWestof Seoul This

massive development includes the Songdo

District ICT Hub, Cheongna Tourism Hub, and

YengjonGlobalLogisticsHubandisexpected to

embraceacombinedpopulationof2.66million

As a result, the Korean e-city strategy had by

2008 rapidly developed into a petri dish for


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urban planners, environmentalists and

technologists.(E-service-expert,2009)

TheseandotherU-cityprojectsacrossKorea

havebeenaidedbyanewU-cityplanningregime

(embodiedinlegislationsuchasthe2006U-KoreaPlan and 2008 Act on Ubiquitous Construction)

that promotes the convergence of government

agencies, construction companies, and IT

businessesessentialtotheprojects.Beyondthis,

guidelines fromtheNational Information Society

Agencyforu-planning, u-infrastructure,u-spaces,

and u-citizenship have helped to establish

common digital platforms at the local level that

avoid duplication of systems and technologies.

Withthissupport,KoreanChaebols(multinationalcompanies such asKoreaTelecom, LG, Samsung,

Posco,andDaiwoo)areinvestingheavilyinU-city

technology, financing, real estate, and planning

capabilities seeing these as the next technology

productstobeexportedfromthepeninsula.

Public support for the projects has been

relativelyeasytoobtaininKorea,whichhasalong

history of public investment in technology

industriesandjobcreation..Thecountrybenefits

fromamoreorlesshomogenousculturewiththe

highest broadband penetration and cell phone

usage in the world (Strategy Analytics, 2009). In

other countries, however, traditional planning

regimes may be more entrenched, and

constituencies for planning may be more

fractured,evenhostile,andlessempowered.

Insuch contexts,institutionsmaybemore

resistanttochange,butthechallengeofpalipaliis

no less urgent witness the spread of mobile

phones across the face of India. These phones,

and the internet capablephones that willfollow

them, can open a window on the workings of

urban life by tapping into the data streams and

debates being produced by the city. Where

enabled, ubiquitous information technology has

thecapabilityofmaking theworkings of thecity

more transparent, shedding light on the

collaboration of government and industry, and

providinganavenueforpublicresponse.

While its easy to be cynical about thiscapabilityarguingthatthoseinpowercanexert

control over the flow of information (as is

happening with Google inChina) inpractice it

becomes exceedingly difficult to maintain such

control if governments and businesses want to

takefulladvantageofthevaluecreationofdigital

networks.Forexample,itwasrecentlyannounced

by state media in Beijing that plans for the

controversial Time Cultural City have been

abandoned,inwhatmanyobserverscallaturningpoint for the city (Foster, 8 Sept. 2010). Like

preceding projects in Beijing, the development

wouldhavedemolishedblocksofancienthutongs

dating back to the Ming dynasty. This time,

however,opposition wasmobilized globallyover

the internet by individual citizens alongwith an

independent, largely volunteer non-profit

organization, the Beijing Cultural Heritage

ProtectionCenter.Examplessuchasthisillustrate

how,inthefaceofintertwininggovernmentandprivate sectors, digital technology also has the

potentialtoprotectandempoweramultiplicityof

grassrootsinterests.

Planning entities in industry and

government increasingly recognize the value of

continuousfeedbackamongstakeholderstoavoid

misadventures like the Time Cultural City and

encourageco-creation,whichismoreproductive.

In his book One Report, Charles Eccles of theHarvardBusinessSchoolchartsthegrowinguseof

Web 2.0 by companies to provide detailed,

integratedinformationtotheirstakeholderswhile

raising the level of dialog and engagement with

them(EcclesandKrzus,2010).Themethodsthey

describe go far beyond traditional financial


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17

reporting to include plans under discussion and

the performance of the company on important

social issues like sustainability. Contrary to

conventional wisdom, such openness can add

competitivevaluetobothorganizationsandtheir

stakeholders. The lessons for the global

developmentcommunity areclear:as interactive

technologies become universally available, the

city-making enterprise must transform to

incorporatefaster,moreintegrated,empowering,

and ultimately more equitable methods of

planning.

PedestrianmovementtrackedviamobilephoneinRome.

(SENSEableCityLab)

Challenge 7: Growing the City-

Making Enterprise

Thearrivaloftechnologycompaniesontheurban scene points to the changing nature of

organizationsresponsibleforplanning,developing

and managing the city. Today, as in the past,

individualfunctionsinmostcitiesarehandledby

an array of public agencies with their own

technologies,systemsandcultures,oftenfiercely

protective of their information and turf.

Coordinationdependsonamayororcityplanning

and development department with proactive

capacity. In this environment, privatedevelopers

areoftentheprojectinitiators.Inthiscase,they

select the security, energy, and movement

systemsthatunderpintheprojects,butevenhere,

systemsareindependentlydeployedandoftendo

notworktogether.Theadventofdigitalnetworks

has opened the door to interconnecting these

agentsandsystemsleadingtoneworganizational

structures and partnerships. These organizations

are likely to be less hierarchical and

compartmentalized, since information is

becoming increasinglytransparent,andthesame

cross-platform infrastructure can be used to

managemultiplesystemsfromtrainstotraffic.

Newplayersandpartnersinthebusinessof

planning and growing cities come with a wide

arrayofinterestsandcapabilities.Theyconstitute

whatmaybetermedanewCity-MakingIndustry.

One might say, since cities have emerged as

enginesofdigitallyenhancedgrowth,everyoneis

getting onboard. To give an example, the JC

DecauxGroup nowprovidesandmaintainsmost

of the street furniture benches, kiosks, rest

rooms,busstopsinhundredsofcitiesonseveral

continents, along with the widely popular bike

sharing program in Paris. These public amenities

andservicesareprovidedbyprivateenterpriseat

littleornodirectcosttotheuser,paidforthrough


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18

the digital advertising integrated into their

systems.

In a similar vein, technology and media

companies are expanding beyond their

conventional role of providing software andhardware to city agencies. These companies are

becoming active stakeholders in the city-making

enterprise,offeringurbansolutionsof theirown,

sharingknowledgefromcitytocityand,bringing

withthemthecultureofresearch,innovationand

horizontal decisionmaking that has undergirded

their business success. Standing out from the

array of firms are several global players, most

notablyCisco,IBM,Siemans,andSamsung.While

these companies continue to target specificinfrastructure and application markets, their

interests stretchmuch further. Ata fundamental

level,theyseektobeintegralplayersintheentire

processofdevelopingandmanagingthecity.

Manycitiesareeagertogetthemonboard.

Inaglobalera,whereurbancentersworldwidevie

for investment and labor, cities are under

increasing pressure to develop the digital

infrastructure necessary to remain economicallycompetitive and create the environmental and

socialcapitalneededtoattracttopindustriesand

workers.Insuchcases thetechnologycompanies

provide expertise, credibility, and cutting edge

concepts. Moreover, in a time of escalating

municipal austerity, citiesare financially stressed

and increasingly look to the private sector

(technology companies included) both to help

finance and build infrastructure and to generate

income. Recognizing the potential, technologycompanies, are partnering with cities to making

strategicinvestmentsthatwilljumpstartthenew

infrastructure. For example, IBM recently

inaugurateda $50million grantprogramtohelp

municipalitiesachievesuccessfulgrowth,better

delivery of municipal services, more citizen

engagement, and improved efficiency. This

follows $186 million in cash, technology, and

consultingservices,providedby thecompanyto

citiesin2009(IBM,9November2010).Similarly,

in2006,Ciscolauncheda5-yearprogramthathas

invested $15 million in people, research, and

equipment tohelp createa global community of

cities committed to addressing environmental

sustainability.Pressreleaseclaimstothecontrary,

suchprogramsarenotmerelyphilanthropicgifts,

but efforts to prime the emerging market for

digital urban systems and services with strong

potential for substantial financial return. The

combinationofintensifiedeconomicpressureand

new market opportunity has also brought

expanded interest in more complex financing

approachessuchaspublicprivatepartnerships,as

well the reemergence of infrastructure as a

distinct asset class with opportunities for both

privatelyheldandpubliclytradedinvestment.

Additional new players who have emerged

onthe city-makingsceneincludeuniversitiesand

other knowledge-based institutions, which are

rootedtoplaceandhavealong-termstakeinthe

effective functioning of a city. They too havebecomeactivestakeholdersin theprocessofcity

making, often producing plans and building key

pieces of development and infrastructure. In

project after project, universities and cultural

institutions have become the cornerstone of

urbangrowthandcompetitivenessbutnotasin

thepastfromwithincampusboundariesbutas

stakeholders in communities bringing their own

research and expertise to bear in the wider

process. Finally, community interests arecoming

to the tablewith renewedstrength, empowered

by the internet, which is providing new ways of

buildingstrongorganizationsthatcanintervenein

thedevelopmentprocess.


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Asthenumberofstakeholdersexpands,the

coordination of multiple contributors into

coherent patterns of sustainable growth is a

fundamental challenge. This issue is revealed in

ourstudiesof advancedurbandevelopments, so

called New Century Cities. Emerging worldwide,

these city-scale projects integrate technology to

developnewindustryand knowledgeclusters.As

illustrated by the Seoul Digital Media City, they

are being implemented by complex arrays of

partners with diverse objectives and varying

degreesofauthorityandpower.

In such cases, an individual or group is often

designatedorevolvesintoanintegratorofthe

NCC project. This integrator recognizes theobjectives of all key stakeholders, speaks the

technical or professional language of each,

works across boundaries to build consensus,

facilitates joint development, and brokers the

dealsthatmustbemadeforaprojecttomove

forward. The integrator understands the

projectsstoryandhelpskeystakeholdersshape

it in terms that others understand and accept.

(Joroff,FrenchmanandRojas,2009;34)

Another potential path to addressing the

integrationproblem is theemergence of holistic

city-building organizations. Either drawing from

divisions within their own company or working

with alliances among firms with different

expertise, these enterprises plan, develop and

manageurbanization acrossmultipledimensions.

TheseenterpriseslikeEmaarorMubadalainthe

UAE, Vanke in China, and Gale in the US are

global in reach, with projects inmore than one

country. Such enterprises can have access toglobalsourcesofcapitalsovereignwealth,real

estate investment trusts, international financial

support and talent. Some do their own

research,developtheirownknowledgeandapply

itacrossmultipleprojects.Theyarenotrealestate

developersordesignconsultantsinthetraditional

sense,sinceinadditiontobuildingthehardware

theymaybefocusedondevelopinghumansocial

capital, education, technology systems, business,

and global connections, as well as invention of

new systems, programs, and techniques all of

equalimportancetothesuccessoftheenterprise.

Furthermore, unlike traditional developers, they

areneither fully public nor fully privateentities,

butcombineaspectsofboth.Emaarforexample,

ispublicallytradedcompanyhalfownedbyglobal

investorsandpartiallybytheDubaigovernment,

which retains a significant stake in the firm

(Weikal,2008;183).

Thesenewventuretypesareallstill inthe

earlystagesofmaturity.Theirbusinessvisionsarecoming into focus; they are still forming their

strategies,alliances,andtestingbusinessmodels.

What is clear, however, is that city-making

organizations must transform themselves to

provide the expertise, to integrate across

functionallines,andtofinanceinfrastructurebuild

out in innovative ways. This portends the

emergenceofanewcity-makingindustrythatwill

deal with the challenges of future-oriented

deployment of technology and resourcesustainability for city development and

regenerationinthiscentury.

SeoulDigitalMediaCity.(DonyunKim)


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Conclusion

The cities we make are not inevitable or

beyond control. Their forms respond to social

ideals, available resources, and the technologies

we invent to make use of them. In many ways

urban ideals in developing countries are still

catchingupwiththeearly20thcentury,andthisis

reflected in thekind of citesbeing built. Butthe

resources available to make and operate such

cities are dwindling, so unless we are willing to

accept degraded living conditions for the vast

majorityof urbandwellers inthe future,wewill

needanidealthatconsumesfewerresourcesper

personyetstillallowsgrowthandimprovementin

quality of life. Current efforts to do better, to

improvetheperformanceofexistingcitiesofthe

typewearecontinuingtobuildwillfallfarshort

ofwhat is required to reduce greenhouse gases

andachievebroadsustainability.Whatcanwedo?

One way forward is to pursue a different

ideal of city in which digital technologies are

integrated into the urban fabric, creating an

intelligent andmore efficient form.This isnot a

utopianvision,itsasurvivalstrategy.

Inthispaperwehavetriedtoshowhowthis

new paradigm is already being implemented

through experiments, deliberate action, or

coincidentally as cities and industries seek more

efficient andproductive processes andproducts.

Someoftheexampleswehaveusedareconcrete

successes on the ground, others are ideas,

experimentsorproposals,andsomewillfail.We

arenotarguingthatanyoneoftheseexamplesisa model for sustainable development in a

particular situation. Our aim has been to look

acrossthemanytransformations(largeandsmall)

nowunderwayincities,andtoconnectthedots.

Whenthisisdone,thereisampleevidence

thatafundamentalshiftinthewaysweconceive,

design, and implement urban development is

underway.Wecanseetheoutlinesofanewcity-

making enterprise in which diverse stakeholders

co-create an urban fabric of fine-grained mixed

usewhereallactivitiesarephysicallyanddigitally

accessible.

This may suggest some priorities for

investment by the World Bank, which can

encourage transformation to more sustainable

models of growth. Priority could be given, for

example,toprojectsthatexpandaccesstodigital

networks and capabilities through bottom-up

innovationandentrepreneurship;orprojectsthat

enhance connectivity and deliver information to

more people and places; or developments thatintegrate living, working, learning and play. The

returnsonsuchinvestmentsmaybefargreaterin

thelongrunthanwideningaroadordike.Thisis

because digital infrastructure is vastly less

expensive than physical infrastructure andmuch

easier and faster to deploy. Of course,

communities will still need roads, water and

health services. Even there, however, digital

platforms can make traditional infrastructure

more efficient and enhance services andproductivity across all sectorsof human activity.

Most importantly, digital access can link

disadvantaged people toglobal sourcesof value,

enablingthemtoinnovatetheirownwaysoutof

poverty. This raises two key challenges for the

World Bank: first, how to expand digital

infrastructure and access to the new economy;

and second, how to encourage physical

development thatmaximizes thebenefits of this

infrastructure in the form and organization of

dailylifeincities.

Thenetworkedcityidealisnotasubstitute

for conservation or for the more-conventional

buildingefficiencymeasuresnowbeingdeployed

in existing cities, both of which will remain


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21

important. In fact, the urban forms and

technologies we are discussing are not typically

part of the sustainable conversation at all, but

they will have powerful impacts on resource

consumption, nevertheless. Simply stated,aswe

deploythisnewinfrastructurewewillbeableto

do more with less: less space to better house

activities, fewer roads and vehicles to provide

better transport, less consumptive patterns of

human behavior. Recall that the industrial

production responsible for the phenomenal

growthofLowellwasentirelydrivenbyrenewable

resources and carbon free. We are in the early

stagesofanothernewurbanidealwedonthave

all the answers we are searching for the 21st

centuryLowellthatwillputallthepiecestogether

forthechallengesofourtime.

2011DennisFrenchmanandMichaelJoroff,

MIT


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22

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Documents

Smart Cities as Engines of Sustainable Growth