Equilibrium Cities Macrotrend Summary

The pandemic has sapped the energy of urban life. Revealing stark inequalities between the lived experience of global citizens, Covid-19 is exposing issues of urban safety, public services, access to green spaces, and the need for immediate change. The ability of our metropolitan areas to support us during times of crisis is being questioned as global urban centres are hollowed out – dubbed the ‘Polo-mint effect’ by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) – with many people remaining reticent about re-entering central districts following the pandemic.

With 68% of the planet’s citizens predicted to live in cities by 2050, this demands new approaches to how our streets and spaces are used, alongside a reframing of who and what the priorities are for our future cities (source: UN).

As we move through the 2020s, the priorities of the city will change further. We can expect more blended developments that turn office blocks and industrial spaces into destinations of culture, creativity and community, while citizens’ mental and physical wellbeing will dictate the design of new building projects. As urban planner and geographer Dr Angelos Varvarousis says: ‘The pandemic has made it clear how much we need social relations, how much we need other ways of feeling good beyond consumerism and consumption.’

In turn, the flow of the city will evolve as infrastructure, logistics and energy supplies tune in to local needs, challenging global firms to downscale, decentralise and align themselves with varying communities’ values.

What does this mean for the future? By 2030, the world’s Equilibrium Cities will be built on a foundation of nature, but they will evolve through intersectional architecture, new economic models and responsive healthcare – some will even establish new populations in the virtual realm.

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