In this talk, futurist and trend analyst, Bronwyn Williams unpacks the current trends and future trajectories of human cities and civilisations in light of emerging technological, economic and societal trends. Amongst other insights, you will discover:
- The technologies making the mergers between our natural and built systems and environments possible.
- Case studies of leading edge terrestrial – and extraterrestrial – smart cities of the future.
- From data to wisdom: How technologists and city planners are using digital breadcrumbs to optimise everything.
- All the world’s a stage: The trade offs and marginal returns between privacy and security in connected communities.
- Urban air mobility: the “rise” of autonomous aerial transportation and what this means for individuals, businesses and society at large.
- Digital fragility: The switch from ownership to the rentier economy and what this mans for social power and equality.
- From nation states to self-sufficient cities and self sovereign individuals: understanding emerging models of citizenship and community identities.
- Why smart cities need to centre around warm bodies, and why planned environments need to leave a little room for chaos.
The talk is designed to get individuals, businesses, city planners and policy makers thinking about how to avoid ending up in a less than utopian sterile, automated megalopolis, and, more importantly, how to proactively harness all the best technology has to offer us to design and build the future cities and communities that flesh and blood humans actually want to live in.