Rethinking Cities | Documentary

Summary

This script explores the dynamic nature of cities as living organisms and economic powerhouses, highlighting their role in fostering knowledge and innovation. It discusses the historical evolution of cities and the challenges of urbanization, including social, economic, and environmental issues. The speaker emphasizes the importance of cities in shaping a sustainable and prosperous future, the role of academic institutions in driving urban development, and the need for collaborative efforts to address global crises and create inclusive, resilient, and vibrant urban environments.

Takeaways

• 🌏 Earth's population is predominantly urban, with over half residing in cities, which are dynamic and ever-changing entities.
• 🏙️ Cities are likened to living organisms that serve as engines for economic growth and knowledge development within societies.
• 🤝 Cities are melting pots for diverse ideas and opportunities, acting as hubs for human communities in the 21st century.
• 🔑 The role of cities in shaping societal progress is more critical today than ever before, reflecting the challenges and potential solutions of the century.
• 🏭 Historically, cities have been central to change, evolving from agricultural settlements to industrial and knowledge-based communities.
• 📈 The Industrial Revolution marked a significant shift with mass migration to cities and the recognition of knowledge's role in economic prosperity.
• 🌊 Cities, occupying a small percentage of land, are often located near water and are growing rapidly, becoming central to modern societies.
• 🌡️ Cities face numerous challenges, including space constraints, poor living conditions, and inadequate access to services for a growing population.
• 📊 By 2050, the UN predicts that 70% of the world's population will be urban, exacerbating issues of poverty, infrastructure, and services.
• 🌱 The concept of prosperity is evolving, with a new emphasis on growth that is green, fair, and respectful of nature, rather than resource exploitation.
• 🏛️ Universities and academic institutions are vital to the future of cities, providing research, innovation, and education to address and adapt to global challenges.

Q & A

What is the current global population and how many people live in cities?

The global population is over 7.8 billion, with more than half of these inhabitants living in cities.

How are cities described in the context of economic and social development?

Cities are described as living organisms that function as powerhouses of economic growth and develop the wealth of knowledge of societies, serving as melting pots for diverse trajectories and ideas.

What role do cities play in the 21st century in terms of human progress?

Cities play a fundamental role in shaping human progress, reflecting the challenges faced by humanity and serving as spaces where making a difference is possible.

How have cities historically been at the core of change?

Historically, cities have been at the core of change by emerging around rivers and fertile land with the discovery of agriculture, and later consolidating as trade centers and focal points of political and religious power.

What was the impact of the Industrial Revolution on cities and migration patterns?

The Industrial Revolution marked a turning point with massive migrations from the countryside to the city, shifting from agricultural and rural communities to industrial, service, and knowledge communities.

What percentage of land do cities occupy and where are most cities located?

Cities occupy about 2% of the land, with most being located on coastal areas or near water.

What are the challenges faced by cities today in terms of space and living environments?

Cities face challenges such as not having enough space, low quality of living environments, and difficulties in providing access to certain services for a growing population.

According to the United Nations, what is the projected percentage of the world's population living in urban settlements by 2050?

The United Nations predicts that by 2050, 70% of the world's population will live in urban settlements.

What is the significance of the term 'informal settlements' in the context of urbanization?

Informal settlements, also known as slums or favelas, are areas where about 25% of the world's population lives, representing a significant and growing problem in urbanization.

How do mayors from around the world collaborate to address climate change and other global challenges?

Mayors collaborate through initiatives like C40, sharing ideas and seeking support to accelerate climate actions and make cities healthier and more equitable.

What is the role of academic institutions in the development and future of cities?

Academic institutions are key in researching interactions, nurturing talent, and providing knowledge that can make real differences in the way cities work, addressing global and local problems.

Why is the concept of 'good neighbor' important for universities in relation to cities?

The concept of 'good neighbor' is important because it emphasizes the idea of collaboration, with universities going beyond their boundaries to integrate research and knowledge into the community and local reality.

What is the significance of the phrase 'there's no planet B' in the context of urban development?

The phrase 'there's no planet B' signifies the urgency and importance of doing urban development right here on Earth, as there is no alternative planet for us to inhabit and develop.

Outlines

00:00

🌏 The Evolution and Impact of Cities

This paragraph discusses the dynamic nature of cities as living organisms that are central to economic growth and societal knowledge. It highlights the historical development of cities from agricultural settlements to major trade and political centers, and the shift towards a knowledge-based economy. The paragraph emphasizes the importance of cities in addressing social, economic, and environmental challenges of the 21st century, and their role in shaping the future. It also touches on the rapid urbanization and the issues faced by cities, particularly in the developing world, such as informal settlements and inadequate infrastructure.

05:04

🌱 The Role of Cities in Sustainable Development

The second paragraph focuses on the global agendas related to urbanization and the challenges cities face, such as combating climate change and improving living conditions. It underscores the importance of local actions and the collaboration between mayors worldwide to address these issues. The paragraph also discusses the concept of cities as ecosystems and the need for co-creation between different sectors, including public institutions, academic institutions, and the private sector. It provides examples of innovative projects, such as the 'Koele Plekken Checker' and the autonomous boat 'Roboat', illustrating how cities are rethinking and redesigning themselves for a more prosperous and sustainable future.

10:07

🏛 The Vital Role of Universities in Urban Prosperity

This paragraph explores the significance of academic institutions in the future of cities, particularly in the context of climate change and knowledge-based development. It highlights the role of universities in research, innovation, and education, and how they contribute to the prosperity of cities by nurturing talent and fostering creativity. The paragraph also discusses the historical examples of cities that have developed around universities and the importance of universities being good neighbors by aligning their research with the needs of the community and contributing to the local reality.

15:11

🌐 Universities as Catalysts for Urban Innovation

The final paragraph emphasizes the potential of academic institutions to be good neighbors and the importance of collaboration in the strength of a city. It discusses the role of universities as knowledge transporters and translators, bridging the gap between scientific knowledge and its implementation in local reality. The paragraph also stresses the need for universities to conduct research within the city to improve the quality and usefulness of their outcomes, and the importance of nurturing talent to think critically and solve global and local problems. It concludes with the idea that universities have a leadership role in shaping a prosperous society by contributing to the rethinking of cities.

Keywords

💡Cities

Cities are defined as large human settlements characterized by high population density and infrastructure. In the video, cities are portrayed as living organisms that are constantly changing and transforming. They are the powerhouse of economic growth and the melting pot for diverse ideas and opportunities, reflecting the challenges and progress of human society. Examples include the historical evolution from agricultural settlements to trade centers and the current role of cities in addressing social, economic, and environmental challenges.

💡Urbanization

Urbanization refers to the process of migration from rural to urban areas, leading to the growth of city populations. The video discusses the rapid urbanization and its implications, such as the increase in poor neighborhoods and the strain on infrastructure and services. It also mentions the United Nations' prediction that by 2050, 70% of the world's population will live in urban settlements, highlighting the urgency of addressing urban challenges.

💡Economic Growth

Economic growth is the increase in the production of goods and services of an economy over a period of time. The video script describes cities as engines of economic growth, driving the prosperity and wealth of societies. It also discusses the shift from agricultural and rural communities to industrial, service, and knowledge-based economies, emphasizing the importance of sophisticated resource use and innovation.

💡Knowledge Communities

Knowledge communities refer to societies where the creation, sharing, and application of knowledge play a central role in economic and social development. The video script mentions the transition from agricultural communities to knowledge communities, indicating a shift towards economies that value intellectual capital and innovation.

💡Sustainability

Sustainability generally refers to the ability to maintain processes or states in a balanced manner over the long term, often in the context of environmental, social, and economic systems. The video emphasizes the need for cities to be sustainable, addressing challenges like climate change, waste management, and energy use, and promoting a green and fair growth that respects nature.

💡Inclusive Cities

Inclusive cities are those that provide equal opportunities and access to services for all residents, regardless of their social or economic status. The video discusses the importance of making cities inclusive, safe, prosperous, resilient, and sustainable, ensuring that all citizens can participate in and benefit from urban life.

💡Climate Change

Climate change refers to long-term shifts in temperatures and weather patterns, primarily as a result of human activities. The video script addresses the impact of climate change on cities and the role of local actions in combating its effects. It also mentions the involvement of mayors and global agreements in shaping urban policy related to energy, buildings, waste management, and mobility.

💡Academic Institutions

Academic institutions are organizations dedicated to higher learning, research, and education. The video highlights the role of universities in nurturing talent, generating new knowledge, and collaborating with cities to address challenges. It positions universities as key contributors to the development of sustainable and prosperous cities.

💡Innovation

Innovation refers to the process of translating an idea or invention into a good or service that creates value or for which customers will pay. The video script discusses how cities and academic institutions can drive innovation by fostering creativity, comparing ideas, and seeking solutions to global and local problems.

💡Resilience

Resilience in the context of cities refers to their ability to adapt to changes and to withstand or recover quickly from adverse conditions, such as natural disasters or economic downturns. The video emphasizes the importance of making cities resilient, implying the need for robust infrastructure and flexible planning to cope with future challenges.

💡Mobility

Mobility refers to the ability to move or be moved freely and easily, often in the context of transportation within cities. The video script mentions projects that focus on improving urban mobility, such as the autonomous boat 'Roboat' project, which aims to enhance transportation options and contribute to a city's multifunctionality.

Highlights

Planet Earth is home to over 7.8 billion people, with more than half living in cities.

Cities are dynamic organisms that drive economic growth and societal knowledge development.

The 21st-century cities are melting pots of diverse ideas and opportunities.

Cities reflect the social, economic, and environmental challenges of the 21st century.

Urban areas are fundamental in shaping societal progress and are seen as the future.

Historical cities were built around resources like rivers, harbors, and mines.

The modern economy values sophisticated use of resources over their mere presence.

The Industrial Revolution marked a shift from rural to urban living and economic models.

Cities occupy only 2% of land, yet are centers of societal activity, especially near water.

Cities are ecosystems of layered systems and networks fostering new ideas.

By 2050, 70% of the world's population is predicted to live in urban areas.

Rapid urbanization leads to issues like poor neighborhoods and inadequate infrastructure.

A significant portion of the world's population lives in informal settlements, posing a major challenge.

Cities are central to global agendas, including combating climate change.

Local actions in cities are crucial for implementing global agreements on climate change.

Mayors worldwide collaborate to share urban initiatives and seek support for climate actions.

Cities require joint decision-making by local stakeholders for effective management.

Academic institutions are vital for driving knowledge-based development in cities.

Universities play a key role in researching and addressing urban health and lifestyle issues.

Cities and universities co-evolve, with universities often at the heart of urban innovation.

Universities are seen as knowledge transporters and translators, bridging scientific findings with local implementation.

The role of universities extends to nurturing talent and fostering critical thinking in students.

Cities must constantly adapt and flex to remain vibrant and productive.

Transcripts

This is planet Earth,

home to over 7.8 billion people.

More than half of the inhabitants live in what we call cities.

Cities can be seen as living organisms in constant change

and transformation. Organisms that function as the powerhouse

of economic growth while developing the wealth of knowledge of our world's

societies. Cities are the melting pot for different trajectories

and ideas, places for opportunities, dreams and connections.

The great human communities of the 21st century.

Places where the diverse can co-exist and where, if we look carefully,

we can see an enormous amount of small stories and narratives

managing to find their own place and voice.

But cities are also a good reflection

of the challenges we face as human beings in this century.

Social, economic and environmental challenges.

Therefore, the cities of today play a more fundamental role

in shaping our progress than ever before.

Cities are the future.

A space where making a difference is possible.

So how will the current knowledge impact the cities of the future?

What institutions are at the forefront of ideas and proposals

that can lead us to more prosperous societies?

Throughout history, cities have been at the core of change.

With the discovery of agriculture,

the first settlements emerged around rivers and fertile land.

Little by little, in strategic territories such as port areas,

they began to consolidate themselves as important trade centers

and also focal points of political and religious power.

There was a time when cities were built

around riverways, around harbors,

around mines, or oil fields.

Now, the type

of economy requires less of those resources.

What's more important is the ability to do more sophisticated

things with what we have.

The arrival of the Industrial Revolution marked a turning point

and the beginning of massive migrations from the countryside to the city.

The role of knowledge in

economic development has been a constant throughout history.

The big leap in prosperity and economic prosperity, at the very least,

that happened in the Industrial Revolution.

Since then, a large part of our territories has been slowly transformed.

We have shifted from agricultural and rural communities

into industrial, service, and knowledge communities.

Cities occupy about 2% of the land, and most of cities

are located on coastal areas or they're located near water.

Cities are growing very fast and becoming the center of today's societies.

So what makes a city today?

I would say a city offers facilities not only to the place itself,

but also to the wider region in terms of health or in terms of education,

in terms of innovation, and other types of services.

We can think of cities as ecosystems.

There are many systems layered on top of each other.

It's a group of networks that comes together.

It's where the new ideas occur.

What the great human communities of this century have in common is the ability

to use knowledge to drive society forward, using cities as their engines.

Cities face many challenges, like not having enough space,

having low quality of living environments,

and also these challenges that you have

when a lot of people need access to certain services.

According to the United Nations predictions by 2050,

70% of the world's population will live in urban settlements.

This rapid urbanization is increasing the number of poor neighborhoods

and inadequate infrastructures and services.

What worries me most are cities in the developing world.

About 25% of the world's population

lives in informal settlements and what we call slums or favelas.

And this is a huge problem that's only going

to get worse.

The challenges of urban societies and the role

that cities will play in our future

world are part of the global agendas of the United Nations.

The challenge of fighting against the effects of climate change

affects decision making in areas in which most of the world's cities

have policy-making capacity.

These include energy, buildings, waste management, and mobility.

But these important global agreements depend largely on local actions

in cities.

Mayors from around the world are coming together

to share initiatives and ask for more support.

As Chair of

C40, I have the privilege of collaborating with mayors worldwide

to accelerate our bold climate actions and do everything

possible to make our cities healthier and more equitable.

The decisions about

the kinds of cities we want, and their day-to-day management,

need to be made jointly by a combination of local stakeholders.

We know that climate change is already affecting

seven out of every 10 cities and that it's happening at the urban level.

It's very important to be able to provide a platform for

the exchange of ideas so that we can talk about

how to solve crises together: the climate crisis, the health crisis,...

the economic crisis, and the social crisis.

Knowledge and information can guide us to find

the right ways in a rapidly changing world.

They can also help find quick and accurate responses

to the challenges of the present and the future.

It becomes more and more important to look for synergies, synergies

among public institutions, academic institutions, and the private sector.

We know that no one part of the city can operate on its own

and solve all the problems.

Co-creation between different sectors and taking into account

citizens' views is crucial in finding metropolitan solutions.

Municipality, citizens,

research institutions, and other stakeholders,

together, should find the way to make cities inclusive, safe,

prosperous, resilient, and sustainable.

So an example of a project that we work on at the AMS Institute, jointly

with the Municipality of Amsterdam is the 'Koele Plekken Checker' in Dutch.

It's really a map of where and which temperatures are during summertime.

So where are basically the cool areas where you would want to be

if we have hot summers, which we increasingly have.

But one example that comes to mind is the city

of Milton Keynes in the United Kingdom.

Now, Milton Keynes was a planned city, so it started out

as being a completely new place that was built in the mid-20th century.

And of course, like many cities or like almost

all of them, it has grown and changed over the years.

And nowadays it has many of the problems

that are facing major urban centers,

but they've approached that with the academic institution looking

especially at mobility, and the needs of mobility,

working with technology companies to find the most efficient way

to understand and then program mobility.

And of course, working with the government and the local city administration

to implement those new policies and new services.

I would say also one is a project that we work on jointly with MIT,

which is called Roboat, and it's an autonomous boat. It can go autonomous

through the city,

it can also carry passengers, but it could also carry waste if it's connected

also to computers of

waste bin, for example. The city also started thinking about

how we can use this roboat, and in this way, you really feed each other

with ideas and solutions and bring it to the next level.

Cities grow in size and number,

and they need to be rethought, redesigned,

reimagined.

Cities can lead us towards more prosperous societies.

What does that mean exactly?

Prosperity is the ability of a society

to continually advance

the potential that people living there have. A more prosperous society

is able to push these boundaries of human potential for everyone.

Until now, prosperity has always been linked to limitless

economic growth. For me, prosperity has to be decoupled

from economic growth based on the plundering of natural resources.

We need growth that is green, that is fair, and that is specifically

based on the principles of respect for nature.

So I think a prosperous and healthy city is a city

that that provides a good living environment, a green area,

an area with space for everyone, and it's also socially inclusive. Healthy

cities to me, or prosperous cities, are multifunctional.

We have to look at them being fair, having opportunities

for people, striving for goals of equality.

But also a prosperous city

needs to take care of the physical needs of its residents.

It needs to look at education, at health.

They need to be able to breathe clean air, to travel easily,

and not have to travel long distances to meet basic needs.

Access to housing

and transportation, the availability of jobs and education,

as well as the consolidation of diverse and inclusive communities.

This is what it takes for a city to truly thrive in our ever-changing world.

Academic institutions are key

to working with cities in the future.

When we look at something like climate change, it's a totally new field.

We don't have a history.

We don't have trends that we can look back on. Universities,

I think, are the natural resource of the 21st century

in the sense of the importance of what they deliver,

which is train people, as well as innovations

in terms of research.

Indeed, knowledge and learning are the greatest renewable resources

available to humanity, and we can use them to face the challenges of today.

Universities, as the main higher education centers, play

a very important role in integrating the work of knowledge-based development.

The role of universities is, of course, to research interactions.

We don't know always what is causing what, and that's very important

to find solutions.

What is the reason that people in cities are sometimes less healthy?

Their environment is not inviting them to go outside, for example,

or to eat healthy food?

Or is it because the type of jobs and activities

related to those jobs don't allow them to have a healthy lifestyle?

Our role is to put the questions on the table for debate.

We see lots of changes in the way we live in cities.

So I think in that sense, we do have a great responsibility

of trying to understand what are the key issues of the future.

And that's where I think an academic institution has

a responsibility to be a good neighbor.

Universities can offer a door to cutting-edge knowledge,

and to new concepts that can make real differences in the way our world works.

There is a large gap between the decisions that are made

at a high level in multilateral institutions like the United Nations,

and how they are translated into the local reality

of different countries, of different cities.

I strongly believe that universities have a great role to play there.

And the third very important aspect is, of course, nurturing talent

or educating people

to allow them to learn how to think in a critical way, to ask questions,

to think of solutions, to think out of the box,

and also to use that in the right way.

Universities undoubtedly provide knowledge,

but they are also places where young people embrace new ideas,

hobbies, friendships, and opportunities.

Another thing that universities bring to the city is a kind of ecosystem.

There is research happening.

People want to join, want to collaborate, want to know about their findings.

For example,

we have Wageningen University here in the Netherlands, which is very much

focused on food, food production and the quality of the environment.

But because of all the research that's been done there,

there are a lot of startups, there are a lot of students

with the right education, the right skills. The development of cities today

goes hand-in-hand with the generation of more and better-qualified jobs,

with the access to talented resources and with a faster increase in wealth.

So there's lots of historical

examples of cities that have developed around universities.

So we could talk about Paris, we could talk about Oxford and Cambridge.

But one example that has been heavily studied is the area of Ithaca

around Cornell University in New York, which is interesting because it's

very similar to post-industrial cities that grew a lot in the 19th century.

But unlike other places, they had a legacy of a university,

that was Cornell, that has enabled it to be more prosperous

than others that are comparable. Others also in recent times,

such as the Silicon Valley,

that was basically built around Stanford University.

Universities nurture the key ingredients for innovation,

acquiring new knowledge, comparing ideas,

fostering creativity, and seeking solutions to global and local problems.

And so I think if we're looking to innovation

and people coming together, thinking outside of the box,

the most appropriate place would be an academic institution.

Academic institutions have enormous potential to be good neighbors.

The concept of good neighbor to me means going beyond the boundaries.

And it's based on the idea of collaboration as the strength of a city.

Universities are an important part of a community.

So they need to carry out

research for it, which many times involves studying the community itself.

Universities have to be fairly closely aligned with what's going on around them.

We create knowledge, and that new knowledge that we create

is especially important for cities,

because we don't have all the answers

about what is a prosperous, healthy future city.

We have to do the research to find out, to share

and create that new knowledge that will make our cities

more sustainable, more resilient, and more vibrant.

Transcending all ages and challenges,

our cities like any other living organism,

must constantly flex and adapt to avoid fading away.

The impact of knowledge and the role of education

are keys to rethinking cities, so that they can remain the colorful,

vibrant, productive, and thriving centers that billions of us call home.

The currency of cities is knowledge, right?

So what they do is bring knowledge together.

The point of cities is to create and then expand

knowledge more easily

than could be done if it wasn't so close.

For me, universities play the role of knowledge transporters

and of knowledge translators in many cases.

I see them as a bridge between scientific knowledge and

the implementation of this knowledge in local reality.

Let's not forget that universities are, in many cases

training the people who will build cities in a few years.

For universities to have a good contribution to a prosperous society,

is by doing research with and within

the city, go in the city and work with the city.

Because it will improve the quality

of your research and it also will improve the usefulness of the outcomes.

The knowledge with the research, with the debate that we can do together.

That's the only way that we'll be able to tackle those problems.

I like the phrase "there's no planet B".

We either do it right here.

There's no alternative.

Universities have a leadership role because they can imbue

these ideas, this debate, into everything that they do.

Let's hope they do it.