In the year twenty twenty-five
by Alex Hutchins
There is a global trend to move from rural areas into urban areas that will cause major problems for local governments by the year 2025. As China’s economy continues to grow, it is predicted it will have the highest number of these mega cities with the US coming in second. In Postcards From The Future,
75 of these mega cities are predicted by the year 2025 which is a little over a decade away.
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| Shanghai, China |
The top 10 Megacities are:
1. Shanghai, China
2. Beijing, China
3. Tianjin, China
4. Sao Paulo, Brazil
5. Guangzhou, China
6. Shenzhen, China
7. New York, USA
8. Chongoing, China
9. Moscow, Russia
10. Tokyo, Japan
It is easy to see that of the top 10 megacities, China has 6 of them and it is easy for anyone to see that once Russia and Japan are added to the mix, that the world’s economy will be shifting the US to the Far East. But, New York City remains the financial hub of the world and could be a pivot point around which the rest of the world will revolve.
So, let’s take a peek at the next 10 of these megacities and see if we can predict if this economic shift will remain in that part of the world.
Megacities 11-20 are:
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| Singapore |
11. Wuhan, China
12. Los Angeles, USA
13. Foshan, China
14. Istanbul, Turkey
15. Nanjing, China
16. Chengdu, China
17. Hangzhou, China
18. Dongguan, China
19. Singapore, Asia
20. Shenyang, China
WOW! So, it would appear that our “fears and concerns” are well-founded because of the top 20 megacities, 13 of them are in China; and, adding Japan and Singapore into the equation, the percentage increases to 75%. Of course, Los Angeles will benefit also from some of that economic growth.
It would also appear that OPEC and the Middle East will continue to prosper, even though only Turkey has one megacity in the top 20. And, I would also venture to say that very little will be done on finding alternative energy sources between now and the year 2025, other than what OPEC is already researching and exploring with US dollars.
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| Foshan, China |
Crucially, though experts estimate that the number of megacities of more than 10 million inhabitants will double over the next 10 to 20 years, it is these less well-known cities, particularly in south and east Asia, that will see the biggest growth. Predicting what the new era will bring is taxing economists, senior businessmen, security experts and strategists across the world.
Optimists see a new network of powerful, stable and prosperous city states, each bigger than many small countries, where the benefits of urban living, the relative ease of delivering basic services compared to rural zones and new civic identities combine to raise living standards for billions.
In a report sponsored by Siemens, the following key findings were indentified:
- Megacities prioritize economic competitiveness and employment
- The environment matters, but may be sacrificed for growth
- Transport overtakes all other infrastructure concerns
- Better governance is a vital step towards better cities
- Holistic solutions are desired but difficult to achieve
- Cities will seek to improve services, but could do more to manage demand
- Technology will help deliver transparency and efficiency
- The private sector has a role to play in increasing efficiency
This says it all ! ! !
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