By: Daniela Navas
Studies have shown that by 2050 the world’s population will increase 13%, adding another 2.5 billion people to our cities. This is considerably challenging and needs to be urgently addressed.
Two centuries ago, there were about one billion people on earth. Nowadays, that number has increased to 7 billion. According to Our World in Data, between 1900 and 2000, ‘the increase in world population was three times greater than during the entire previous history of humanity—an increase from 1.5 to 6.1 billion in just 100 years.’
It does not exactly mean that humans have been multiplying. It means more infants are surviving and people are living longer which is, great news. Even though, with smaller populations the living standards are definitely easier to improve, knowing that this population growth is going to happen can help us plan for the smart and sustainable cities that we want in the future.
According to the Entrepreneur James Liang, demographics have a huge part to play in innovation. He affirms that high populations not only mean more researchers, but also, a larger domestic market for budding innovators to sell to. Moreover, the agglomeration factor is also important for innovation- in his perspective, as cities and hubs benefit from the concentration of talent and resources in one place.
In other words, demographics can teach a lot to our urban planners, and population should not be something to fear but something that inspires us.
In this situation, the concerning part is actually not growth, but the increase in consumption that comes with it. It is not a ‘population explosion’ that we should worry about but a ‘consumption explosion’, according to global consultants McKinsey.
If people are going to live more and the population will continue to grow, what are we going to do to make these longer lives better? We can start by building industries and cities which are more sustainable and where the use and consumption of this larger number of people do not have a negative impact on our planet. As we have stated before, at EYESAFE we believe it is necessary to create an environment that contributes to the sustainable development of our cities and our planet. Therefore, we constantly work to create tools that result in smarter mobility ecosystems.
A smart and sustainable city uses information and technology to improve the quality of life and the efficiency of urban services while making sure that the popular needs of present and future generations are satisfied. These cities encourage its inhabitants to adopt smart forms of consumption such as using energy efficiently, recycling or car sharing.
The time has come for planning a brighter future. Population must be at the core of these new ideas since its growth is certainly going to change the way we interact and consume. Are you ready to build a better future for the new 2.5 billion people that are coming? At EYESAFE, we are!
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