The Urban Paradox

By 2030, nine percent of the world’s population will live in just thirty-three megacities—places that will generate fifteen percent of global GDP. The capital of these cities, the ultimate “super-megacity,” won’t be New York or Moscow, nor will it be found in Europe or the Americas. It will be in Asia. And, contrary to what many might think, it won’t be in China. The world’s most populous city will be Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia, home to some thirty-five million people. Cities will increasingly become the laboratories where the planet’s future takes shape—where new social models are tested, where lasting peace is pursued, where frontier research and bold forms of cultural cooperation emerge. The goal won’t be to outdo one another but to share good ideas and good information. Cities like Barcelona, Turin, Pittsburgh, Lyon, Mi-lan, Istanbul, Tokyo, Wroclaw, and Matera have already shown how that can be done. The nine stories told in this volume recount cities around the world that have overcome crises, implemented innovative strategies, and achieved tangible results. But they also underscore the need never to rest on one’s laurels. A city—like any living organism—can never truly say, “I made it.” A city is a tortoise of extraordinary longevity and beauty, forever out of reach of any citizen Achilles.