The world is changing, and so is the face of the urban landscape. As futuristic city concepts are diligently planned worldwide, certain cities are already setting examples with their exceptional sustainability efforts. Here are 17 smart and futuristic cities that offer hope for the coming decades.
17 Smart and Futuristic Cities
1. Glasgow, Scotland
Glasgow, Scotland’s vibrant heart, has evolved over the last couple of decades to become Britain’s most intriguing metropolis. With its stately Victorian architecture and artistic heritage, the city is home to museums, art galleries, and proud institutions such as the Scottish Opera , the Scottish Ballet, and the National Theatre of Scotland. But on the other hand, this smart city also seamlessly blends its rich history with cutting-edge technology and eco-friendly initiatives. Glasgow’s commitment to sustainability is evident through its ambitious renewable energy projects, such as wind farms and solar arrays. The city’s transport system is a marvel, boasting electric buses and a well- connected subway network. Green spaces like the Glasgow Green and the Botanic Gardens add a natural touch to the urban landscape, with the pristine River Clyde running through it, while the reimagined Clyde Waterfront stands as a symbol of regeneration, with modern housing and commercial spaces revitalising the riverbanks.
2. NEON, Saudi Arabia
Out of Saudi Arabia’s 14 ambitious giga projects under its massive development programme, Neom is certainly the most talked of, and for good reason. Located in the temperate northwest of the Middle Eastern kingdom, its design embodies the promise of a visionary utopia combining cutting- edge technology with responsible innovations. Spanning an area of over 26,000 square kilometres, Neom will be divided into 10 well-planned regions, including The Line, a 170-km- long cognitive linear space stretching along the region’s epic mountains, desert valleys, and the beautiful Red Sea. A mirrored architectural masterpiece, it will accommodate nine million people, have no roads or cars, run on 100 per cent renewable energy, and have 95 per cent of its area covered as a nature reserve! Other than that, Neom will also include an octagon-shaped port city named Oxagon, a ski resort named Trojena, and an island resort called Sindalah.
3. Tokyo, Japan
Known for its advanced public transportation system, sustainability- led projects, and use of cutting-edge technology in urban planning, the world’s largest city is a futuristic paradise. Don a robot suit, explore futuristic art installations, or dine at one of the many Michelin-starred restaurants with pioneering fine- dining experience—Tokyo has so much to offer to each of its astonished guests! It has also taken smart city initiatives to new heights by introducing innovative waste management systems, AI-driven solutions, autonomous vehicles, and smart-grid technologies to optimise energy consumption. While actively working towards its goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 80 per cent by 2050, it is now busy planning a mini-city called Tokyo Bay eSG, built on the principles of environmental and social governance.
4. Biodivercity, Malaysia
Towering right off the southern shore of Malaysia’s pristine Penang Island, a 1,821-hectare development of three artificial islands is in the works. A masterplan of the state government, developed by Danish design studio BIG, BiodiverCity will be a new sustainable, global destination with a clear focus on livability, socially and economically inclusive development, and environmental sustainability for future generations. Each of the three lily-pad islands—The Channels, The Mangroves, and The Laguna—are expected to house 15,000 to 18,000 residents and will be connected by an autonomous transport network with no cars. These regions will largely be constructed using a combination of bamboo, Malaysian timber, and ‘green concrete’ that uses recycled materials as aggregate. With 4.6 km of public beaches, 600 acres of lush parks, and a 25 km-long waterfront, the urban project will aim at protecting the biodiversity of its coastal zones and natural habitats.
5. Helsinki, Finland
Sitting on a peninsula by the shores of the Baltic Sea, Helsinki is a harmonious blend of tradition and innovation. The city’s public transportation system sets a global standard, with a wide network of eco-friendly buses and trams. Helsinki’s commitment to sustainability is evident in its green rooftops, energy-efficient buildings, and an ambitious goal to make car ownership obsolete by 2025. The Helsinki Smart Region is a Finnish innovation centre with a focus on creating better urban living for citizens, exploring eco-friendly solutions, and promoting industrial technologies, by exploring smart strategies like AI, climate neutrality, and smart mobility. There’s also the MyHelsinki app that offers real-time information on events, transportation, and even parking availability, ensuring residents and visitors can make the most of their time. Additionally, the city’s open data policy fosters collaboration and innovation, facilitating smart solutions to urban challenges.
6. The Orbit, Canada
Running along the sublime shores of Lake Ontario, The Orbit is supposedly Canada’s dazzling jewel of futurism—a high-tech urban oasis with the vision of reforming Innisfil, a Canadian farming town, through the extensive integration of cutting- edge, sustainable technologies. Think of a skyline dominated by sleek glass skyscrapers, towering vertical gardens, sky- high gondolas, drone ports, and a mass fibre optic cable system that will provide connectivity across sidewalks, solar-panelled streets, and buildings. Meanwhile, lush green spaces and urban farms are to be seamlessly integrated into the cityscape, ensuring a sustainable and eco-conscious lifestyle for residents and visitors alike! That’s not all. Expect to experience an augmented reality- rich environment with high- speed internet being ubiquitous, holographic interfaces providing information and entertainment at every corner, and restaurants offering a sneak peek into culinary artistry through 3D-printed meals!
7. Seoul, South Korea
The fact that it is the first city to integrate with the Metaverse, is enough to guess why Seoul is on the top on charts when it comes to the smartest cities across the world. While its Incheon International Airport is set to become one of the world’s smartest and greenest, equipped with self-driving shuttle buses, automated immigration processing, and disinfecting robots, its smart transportation system has cutting-edge technology including air quality improvement devices, free mobile chargers, and enhanced unlimited Wi-Fi service. When it comes to hospitality, expect contactless services with delivery robots and hotel rooms with AI-guided speakers. Seoul’s urban planning includes green initiatives like the revitalisation of the Cheonggyecheon stream, transforming it from a concrete- covered waterway into a beautiful, eco- friendly public space. The city’s skyline is dotted with eco-friendly buildings, and projects like the Seoul Skygarden and Seoullo 7017 pedestrian overpass showcase the city’s commitment to creating green spaces for its citizens and visitors.
8. Taipei, Taiwan
With the backdrop of rugged mountains, the capital of Taiwan is a cosmopolitan metropolis. A proud host of the famous Smart City Summit & Expo, Taipei has innovative initiatives in place like Big Data (the real-time collection of citizens’ habits and customs for the development of tools to improve their quality of life) and the rapprochement between the urban and rural worlds using technological innovation, making it a model smart city. Over the past couple of years, Taipei has also made strides in sustainability and smart transportation—think geo- sensors on streetlights to conserve energy, eco-projects across the region, and smart ID cards providing access to everything from public transport to medical assistance. With fashion-forward streets, flashy high-end stores, restaurants redefining fine-dining experiences, hiking trails on all sides, and the towering Taipei 101 skyscraper dominating its glittering skyline, this urban jungle is sure to win you over.
9. Maldives Floating City, Maldives
Ever imagined living in a futuristic dreamland floating on turquoise waters? That’s Maldives Floating City for you! With 80 per cent of the Maldivian archipelago sitting less than three feet above sea level, its gorgeous islands have been predicted to be uninhabitable by the year 2100. Hence, the government plans on shifting its 20,000 locals to the new floating city, planned just a 10-minute boat ride away from the capital of Male. Touted as ‘the world’s first true floating island city’, the project will encompass 5,000 low- rise floating homes, offering modern sustainable living perched against a backdrop of the azure Indian Ocean. It will also have a nature-based structure of roads and water canals, with natural coral protection at the heart of the project’s development.
10. New Administrative Capital, Egypt
Spanning an impressive 700 square kilometres, Egypt’s new, yet-to-be named capital city has been under construction since 2015. The mega development project, 45 kilometres southeast of the current capital of Cairo, is planned for more than six million residents, and is designed in part to relieve traffic and other stresses on the crumbling infrastructure in Cairo. Temporarily titled as the New Administrative Capital, the city is being designed to have a sprawling central park with artificial lakes, state-of- the-art infrastructure, smart transportation systems, and a comprehensive network of sensors that monitor and manage various aspects of city life, such as traffic flow and environmental conditions. It is already home to the tallest building in Africa, a huge presidential palace, dozens of ministry buildings, and cutting- edge hospitals and schools.
11. Santander, Spain
An old seaport on the northern Atlantic Coast of Spain, Santander leaped into a smart future when over 12,000 sensors began monitoring waste management and guiding drivers to empty parking spots, reducing carbon emission, automobile pollution, and traffic congestion. Additionally, the new city model, Santander Future Habitat, promotes the transformation of the city through regenerative urbanism—restoring balance to the urban territory and making economic and social prosperity compatible with natural processes. Solar-powered bus stops, growing green spaces, and an electric vehicle charging network underscore the city’s commitment to environmental preservation. With this, Santander aims to be a circular, sustainable, resilient, structured, prosperous, lively, and inclusive city by 2055. Terrific pincho bars, developing surf scene, golden beaches, Belle Époque architecture, and the state-of-the-art Centro Botín art centre—this elegant capital of Cantabria also has a lot on offer for its guests.
12. Songdo, South Korea
Songdo was built with cutting-edge technology from ground up on nearly 1,500 acres of land that was reclaimed from the Yellow Sea. Popular as a ‘smart city in a box’, Songdo is considered an extension of Incheon, a large international transportation hub that allows the city to be easily accessible by foreign and domestic travellers. It was conceptualised in the early years of the 21st century as a completely sustainable, high-tech city that would plan for a future without cars, pollution, and overcrowded spaces. Today, it is already 50 per cent built, with 30,000 residents and 70 per cent fewer emissions than developments its size. A new 100-acre recreational park is woven into the centre of the city’s rich urban fabric, while a network of sea canals is powered by wind turbines. The Songdo International Business District, constructed on a new embankment on the Incheon waterfront, is a purpose-built ‘smart city’, designed for efficiency and convenience.
13. Masdar City, UAE
Masdar City in Abu Dhabi combines state-of-the-art technologies with the planning principles of traditional Arab settlements to create a desert community that aims to be completely carbon neutral and zero waste soon. Its design incorporates advanced sustainable technologies, renewable energy sources, and autonomous transportation. A greenprint for sustainable urban living, the city is home to a rapidly growing clean- tech cluster, business free zone, and residential neighbourhood with restaurants, shops, and public green spaces. With a maximum distance of 200 metres to the neared rapid transport links and amenities, the city is designed to encourage walking, while its shaded streets and courtyards offer an attractive pedestrian environment, sheltered from climatic extremes. Do not miss out on Masdar Park equipped with art installations themed on sustainability, solar-powered benches to charge your devices, and responsible food outlets.
14. Chengdu Future City, China
All set to spring up in southwest China as a part of the capital of Sichuan province, Chengdu Future City’s car-free masterplan will focus on the land’s rolling topography, challenging the conventional urban planning models that are driven by road networks or maximising gross floor area. Inspired by the Lin Pan villages in Chengdu—traditional rural settlements that practice small- scale farming and deploy ancient irrigation systems—the masterplan will be divided into six clusters, each highlighting a specific architectural typology defined by its programme, as well as its relationship with the topography and local water systems. As per Dutch architecture firm, OMA, the 4.6-square-kilometre site will include multiple new universities, laboratories, offices, and an international education park with landscaped terraces. These buildings across all zones will mimic the hilly landscape to form a valley, and will be accessible by foot within 10 minutes.
15. Melbourne, Australia
Stylish, cosmopolitan, and fabulously futuristic, Melbourne is urban Australia at its best. Boasting a skyline defined by sleek architectural marvels, Melbourne’s metamorphosis into a digital utopia is a testament to its commitment to sustainable urban development. The extensive public transportation system is powered by renewable energy sources, while a network of sensors and AI ensure efficient traffic management, reducing congestion and emissions. Melbourne’s smart grid efficiently allocates resources and minimises waste. Furthermore, a plethora of green spaces and vertical gardens provide a welcome respite, complemented by a robust recycling programme, and a focus on renewable energy. Add to it a buzzing scene of night clubs, innovative restaurants, and art-strewn alleys that together make it an edgy, ever-evolving hotbed of creativity, keeping things interesting at all times.
16. Oslo, Norway
Surrounded by the Oslo Fjord from one side and the national protected forest of Marka from the rest three, Oslo is a compact, cultured, and fun city with a palpable sense of reinvention. With the world’s finest galleries, age-old museums, and hiking trails through the pine- forested Nordmarka, there’s no dearth of experiences. But the modern port district also wows with new, ultra-low- energy landmarks like the architecturally striking Deichman Library and an opera house designed to resemble a floating glacier. Visit Bjorvika for its hip waterside restaurants, bars, and galleries; check out the shimmering facades and galleries at the futuristic high-rise Barcode area; discover the city’s lively bar scene in Torggata; and splurge on some of the ritziest hotels in the Scandinavian region.
17. Telosa, USA
With an intent of setting a global standard for urban living, expanding human potential, and becoming a blueprint for future developments, American billionaire and Walmart president Marc Lore is planning on building Telosa, a utopian futuristic city firmly grounded on reality. This urban project for five million is all set to be built from scratch on an as-yet undisclosed site sprawling 1,50,000 acres, somewhere in the United States’ western deserts. Designed in a way that workplaces, schools, and basic services are within 15 minutes of residents’ homes, Telosa will have an emphasis placed on walkability and using scooters, bicycles, and self-driving electric vehicles. Organic skyscrapers with rooftop solar panels, community parks, and zooming monorail tracks will dominate the landscape, with a vast public green space right at its centre.
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