Face New Challenges

In its Issue Brief “Shifting Demographics”, United Nations exposes alarming facts and figures about the demographics evolution to expect and the related challenges :

"The world's population is expected to reach 9.7 billion in 2050, before reaching a peak of nearly 11 billion by the end of century."
"This growth will be accompanied by other massive phenomena: a strong urbanization and aging of the population."
"A few countries will generate the majority of the population growth by 2050, revealing a new hierarchy of powers."
"This major growth will imply more and more population move; These migration flows, due to environmental, security, economic or resources reasons, will drive to the cities and their suburbs."

Today, around 55 per cent of the world's population lives in towns and cities, with the level of urbanization projected to reach almost 70 per cent by 2050

United Nations

“Shifting Demographics” issue brief – Urban Future

Therefore, national and local governments needs to optimize the management of urbanization, in order to develop their cities in a harmonious and effective way for the well-being of their citizens. This management has to allow anticipation, crisis management, real time data analysis, collaboration on complex projects and visualization of "what if" scenarios to help with quick relevant decision-making.

Thus, they need to be able to make it while integrating sustainable development strategy goals: to contribute to the global climate objectives achievement, but especially, for some of them, to escape from the natural disasters such as flooding and tropical storms that are threatening so many cities in the world. The challenges they will have to deal with are related to a wide range of topics, including housing, infrastructure and transportation, safety and security, services development etc...

Last but not least: the regions and rural territories development challenge is key. It’s essential to make sure their populations, that provide most of the time food to the cities, can access the appropriate level of service to remain in their regions.

Adopt the Strategy

How to act:

Planning, design, and investment in the development of sustainable cities, are keys to tackle the demographic shifts and urbanization challenges and to offer to the population’s economic growth, quality of life, and social stability.
To be effective, governments, cities and public authorities are transforming their organizations, tools and processes, enabling collective intelligence and extended collaboration, involving a wide range of stakeholders around their key projects (housing, infrastructures, mobility, energy, waste management etc.).