Cities

FutureProofing

Presenters Leo Johnson and Timandra Harkness discover how new forms of city living could dominate the 21st century. How will our cities look and feel, and what will life be like in the transformed cities of the future?

Current forecasts indicate that as many as 70% of the world's population will be living in cities by 2030, up from around 55% today. FutureProofing examines the big shifts in our societies that may follow from the rapid growth in urban living, and what the digital revolution will bring to the way cities are designed and governed. The programme visits Singapore to experience some of the features which cities of the 21st century may adopt, such as self-driving vehicles and ubiquitous data monitoring of all residents' movements. Will this reduce or enhance the freedom of citizens in future?

Producer: Jonathan Brunert.