Branded Cities: Can We Avoid An Urban Dystopia?

  • Tim Noakes
Earth's great cities are hubs of growth and innovation, but many are also beset with crumbling infrastructure, environmental pollution and growing social inequalities. Around the world, governments are struggling to manage the rapid pace of change, while corporations concurrently seek to play a far greater role in civic life. With two-thirds of humanity predicted to be living in urban environments by 2050 according to the UN, cities need to be able to sustain the growing demands on their infrastructure. But if governments don't have the resources to do this, will the role of city maker fall entirely to private corporations? And if so, will the metropolis of the future become a branded utopia or a commercial dystopia?
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Created by The Future Laboratory for SXSW Cities Summit 2018
Editorial Director: Tim Noakes
Creative Director: Aleksandra Szymanska
Writers: Peter Maxwell and Jim Whyte
Animators: Inferstudio
Designer: Queenie Wong