Megalopolis

In the face of the global challenges of the future, there is one decisive factor that is rarely mentioned: massive urbanisation. Today, around two-thirds of the world’s population live in cities. At the beginning of the 20th century, the corresponding figure was just 10%. In just over a hundred years, humanity’s way of life has changed dramatically – a large majority of us have become urban. This book is about the cities of the future, and about the opportunities – and dangers – of a world where cities continue to grow. Cities have the power to make the world a better place, if they develop correctly. If cities, on the other hand, continue to expand without deliberation, it is a ‘sure road to hell’. Whatever scenarios we think most likely, one thing is clear: if we are to solve the problems of the future, we must solve them in the big cities. With the translation from Norwegian into English Megalopolis and its journey around the world in search for urban answers to the challenges of the future is now available to even more people. Peter Butenschøn is a Norwegian architect, landscape architect, and architectural writer and critic. He has been the editor and a permanent architecture contributor to multiple publications, and an advisor to the Ministry of Culture in Norway.