The country has become one of the world’s largest smart city laboratories—testing technology, infrastructure, and urban design across its national landscape.
In Saudi Arabia, about 84% of its population now lives in cities, putting significant pressure on urban systems. Population growth, climate challenges, traffic jams, and higher expectations for quality of life are all adding to the strain. To address this, Saudi Arabia has launched a broad smart city plan to improve everything from traffic flow to energy use.The groundwork for this transformation was laid in 2015, when the government unveiled plans to upgrade 17 cities, including Riyadh, Makkah, and Jeddah. A year later, Vision 2030 was launched, marking the kingdom’s first blueprint for smart city development.Today, these plans are becoming a reality. Riyadh is launching a smart city program that includes planting more trees and introducing self-driving transport. Al Khobar is using AI-powered traffic signals to reduce congestion, and Makkah is developing into a smart city ready to handle 30 million pilgrims each year by 2030.
THE RISE OF THE COGNITIVE ECOSYSTEM
The smart city model has now moved beyond simple connectivity and automation toward the “cognitive city”—urban environments that not only collect data but learn from it and respond in real time.
Digital twins—virtual replicas of physical environments—anchor this vision, allowing operators to simulate traffic flows, monitor infrastructure, and optimize resource use.
“Digital twin technology is creating tangible value in areas such as urban planning, infrastructure optimization, and predictive maintenance by enabling simulation and real-time operational insights,” says Mosab Erar, vertical business director at Hikvision MEA.
Yet the path forward is not without hurdles. “Key limitations often stem from fragmented systems and data silos, which require strong data governance frameworks and seamless cross-platform integration to fully realize the potential of digital twins in complex urban environments,” adds Erar.
THE HUMAN SIDE OF HIGH-TECH
As cities become increasingly connected, Yasser Elsheshtawy, an adjunct professor at Columbia University, warns that planners should not treat older cities as blank slates for new technology.
“Retrofitting smart infrastructure into long-established cities such as Makkah or Riyadh is fundamentally different from building a new city like NEOM because existing urban environments are shaped by lived practices, informal adaptations, and deeply rooted social relationships,” he says.
His concern is that pursuing efficiency could come at a human cost. “The biggest challenge is that ‘smart’ systems can easily become overly technocratic, prioritizing efficiency and centralized control at the expense of people’s sense of ownership over their neighborhoods,” says Elsheshtawy.
“The goal should be to enhance flexibility, resilience, and everyday usability—allowing technology to enable urban life rather than dominate it quietly.”
DESIGNING THE ‘FIVE-MINUTE’ OASIS
While megaprojects like NEOM, Qiddiya entertainment city, and Red Sea Global signal the scale of Saudi Arabia’s ambition, the most meaningful changes are those transforming everyday life.
For example, Riyadh is developing New Murabba as a 15-minute city, where people can access everything they need on foot. In reality, planners are taking this idea even further.
Mustafa Chehabeddine, design principal at global architecture firm KPF, explains that the first residential district at Riyadh’s new downtown functions as a network of five-minute communities.
“KPF is designing Community 2, the first residential community at New Murabba, as a 15-minute city,” he says. “But, during Riyadh’s hot season, the challenge is to make the radius even smaller.”
To counter extreme heat, the design prioritizes proximity and comfort through shaded, accessible spaces. “We’re implementing five-minute communities within the neighborhood, with pedestrian heat refuges provided every one or two minutes, whether that’s a shop, shaded landscape area, or protected courtyard,” he explains.
The approach blends traditional courtyard urbanism with new technologies such as motion-activated misting systems and cooling fans, ensuring walkability even in the hottest weather.
THE CHALLENGE OF LEGACY INFRASTRUCTURE
It’s one thing to build a city from the ground up, but quite another to modernize long-established urban centers.
“Retrofitting established cities such as Makkah and Riyadh comes with challenges, including infrastructure constraints, integration with legacy systems, and the need to minimize disruption to daily operations,” says Erar.
Bruce Fisher, design principal at KPF, points to the structural consequences of decades of car-centric planning, particularly in cities like Jeddah.
“Jeddah is a sprawling, largely gridded city built on an urban planning model of square super-blocks, wide roads, and highways that have pushed the city steadily northward over the past four decades,” he says.
He adds that the city is “primarily a car-centric, largely unwalkable city.”
“To meet even the minimum standards of a smart city, it must densify in strategic locations capable of supporting transit-oriented development.”
Sometimes, the best solutions come from the past as well as the future. Fisher points to Jeddah’s historic Al Balad district, with its winding, shaded, walkable streets, as a good example of people-friendly urban design.
“Transit is the critical enabler of this kind of smart, culturally resonant, and environmentally responsive urbanism — one that puts people, rather than cars, at the center of urban form,” he says. “A kilometer of mass transit may lack the visual drama of a kilometer-tall tower, but the two work best in tandem — transit unlocks the density.”
CHANGING THE CAR CULTURE
Currently, over 85% of daily trips in Riyadh are made in private cars.
Saudi Arabia is investing in AI-powered transportation and public transit. In 2025, WeRide started a robotaxi service in Riyadh with Uber, and the Saudi company Front End announced plans to use autonomous aerial vehicles.
Elsheshtawy believes the real challenge remains behavioral. “AI-driven mobility can optimize traffic flows, improve safety, and enhance coordination across transport networks, but congestion will persist if people continue to rely overwhelmingly on private cars,” he says.
He argues that public transport requires more than efficient systems. “It demands convenient last-mile connectivity, walkable environments, shaded pedestrian routes, mixed-use development around transit hubs, and a cultural shift that makes public transport a desirable option.”
Projects such as the Riyadh Metro offer a glimpse of that future. By combining data-driven mobility, multimodal integration, and transit-oriented development, the system aims to change how the city moves. It’s real “smartness,” Elsheshtawy notes, lies in its potential to reconfigure urban behavior—encouraging a shift away from car dependency.
Over 1,808km Pedestrian, Cycling Paths Delivered By Ashghal, Qatar
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A standout feature of this network is the 33-kilometer Olympic Cycling Track, which holds the Guinness World Record for the longest continuous cycle path
The Public Works Authority, Ashghal, has delivered more than 1,808 kilometers of pedestrian and cycling tracks between 2020 and 2025 in Doha, Qatar. This project is not merely an infrastructure task but a strategic alignment with the Qatar National Vision 2030.
Olympic Cycling Track
A standout feature of this network is the 33-kilometer Olympic Cycling Track, which holds the Guinness World Record for the longest continuous cycle path. It is a dedicated 7-meter-wide, bidirectional path separated from traffic.
The track includes 29 underpasses and five bridges, allowing cyclists to ride continuously without stopping at intersections. The route is fully illuminated for night cycling and includes 100 benches and 20 rest areas.
Safe And Accessible Transit For All
The development comes as part of its ongoing efforts to enhance road safety and provide a safer, more sustainable mobility environment for all road users, while developing a modern and integrated road network that supports sustainable transportation across cities and residential areas. The paths are strategically designed to link with the Doha Metro stations and major bus hubs, facilitating “first and last-mile” connectivity for commuters.
The network includes both shared pedestrian and cycling paths, as well as dedicated cycling tracks. Also, it has successfully integrated pedestrian and cycling tracks into highway, main road, and local road projects. This has improved accessibility for pedestrians and cyclists, while enhancing safety and traffic flow on Qatar roads.
Top Cycling Routes
Some of the top cycling routes in the country are 5/6 Park (1.1km), Lusail International Circuit (5.3km), Olympic Cycling Track (33km), Al Bidda Park (5km), Aspire Zone Park (5km) and Al Khor Road (38km – track integrates with Olympic track).
Contract underscores PIF-owned Diriyah Company’s ambition to develop the country’s leading historical, cultural and lifestyle destination
Diriyah awards work to Albawani Company Ltd. and Hassan Allam Construction Saudi L.L.C., in a boost to Saudi Arabia’s private sector
Saudi Arabia Museum of Contemporary Art will serve as a premier center of artistic exploration while supporting PIF’s drive to expand and diversify the Saudi economy
PIF-owned Diriyah Company has awarded a $490 million (SAR 1.84 billion) construction contract for the Saudi Arabia Museum of Contemporary Art (SAMoCA), in Diriyah.
The contract has been awarded to a joint venture between Albawani Company Ltd. and Hassan Allam Construction Saudi L.L.C., reflecting Diriyah Company’s ambition to develop a major cultural destination that attracts visitors and supports long-term growth.
SAMoCA is a flagship project by the Museums Commission. It aims to document, research, exhibit and champion Saudi modern and contemporary art. The museum will serve as a premier center of artistic exploration while supporting Saudi artists across generations to imagine and shape the nation’s creative possibilities.
Diriyah Company is developing the Diriyah project, the birthplace of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and a major historical, cultural and lifestyle destination. Diriyah is one of five giga-projects – together with ROSHN, Red Sea Global, Qiddiya and NEOM – that are driving expansion and diversification of the Saudi economy. Diriyah’s broad mission underscores its commitment to ensuring successful business outcomes and sustainable growth under the strategic direction of Vision 2030.
The museum, designed by the U.K.-based firm Godwin Austen Johnson with multidisciplinary support from Rafaat Miller Consulting, will have a gross floor area of 45,252 square meters and a total built-up area of 77,428 square meters. Notably, SAMoCA has recently achieved Mostadam Gold sustainability certification at both the design and construction stages.
The new museum at Diriyah will serve as the flagship home of SAMoCA, while SAMOCA at JAX Center continues to operate as a dynamic exhibition space in Riyadh’s creative district.
Commenting on the long-term impact of this new cultural asset, Jerry Inzerillo, Group Chief Executive Officer of Diriyah Company, said: “The Saudi Arabia Museum of Contemporary Art will provide Saudi and international artists with a truly world-class platform – one that invites global voices to engage with the Kingdom as it is today. This iconic asset will further elevate Diriyah’s reputation as the Kingdom’s capital of culture – and underscores our unwavering commitment to developing a vibrant city that serves our community, and the nation at large.”
Eng. Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al-Hammad, Chief Executive Officer of the Museums Commission, added: “The Saudi Arabia Museum of Contemporary Art will be the epicenter of Saudi modern and contemporary art. Set against the historic legacy of Diriyah, it is designed to document and champion generations of Saudi artists, from pioneers to emerging voices, while inviting international dialogue into that story. We are committed to ensuring this dynamic platform remains accessible and inspiring for all.”
Diriyah, the $63.2 billion integrated urban development, has now awarded over $29 billion in construction contracts. Once complete, the ‘City of Earth’ will contribute approximately $18.6 billion (SAR 70 billion) directly to Saudi Arabia’s GDP, create more than 180,000 jobs, be home to an estimated 100,000 people, and welcome 50 million annual visits.
It will include museums, shopping districts, a university, the Diriyah Opera House, the Diriyah Arena, a variety of food and beverage outlets, and 34 world-class resorts and hotels spanning its two main masterplans.
Architecture transforms space, yet sustainability is an invitation to restraint: a fundamental challenge of contemporary construction opens up between these two principles. We discussed this with Professor Ena Lloret-Fritschi and Professor Muck Petzet, Director and Co-Director of the new Institute of Sustainable Architecture and Technology (IAST) at the USI Academy of Architecture, in a contribution produced in collaboration with laRegione.
Architecture is, by definition, an act of transformation. It shapes space to meet human needs, designing buildings and environments of various types and uses. Yet, every construction intervention inevitably involves a loss: something is altered, removed, or destroyed. Sustainability, on the other hand, aspires to minimise environmental impact. Bringing these two concepts together reveals a fundamental tension-almost an oxymoron-between the drive to build and the imperative to preserve.
We discussed this tension, as well as the meaning of sustainable architecture today and future challenges, with Professor Ena Lloret-Fritschi and Professor Muck Petzet. The institute-officially inaugurated on 16 April-brings together expertise in heritage, construction, reuse, structural engineering, and digital technologies, aiming to approach sustainability in an integrated, multidisciplinary way.
What does it mean to practice sustainable architecture?
For Prof. Muck Petzet, the result of pairing architecture and sustainability defines an important starting point. “Building new structures requires considerable resources and energy and therefore has a significant environmental impact. Quoting Luigi Snozzi: ’Every intervention involves destruction; destroy with intelligence.’ As architects, we have a responsibility to question the necessity of the act itself. We must ask ourselves if an intervention, and particularly a new construction, is truly necessary, or if we can work with what already exists.” In this view, reuse is not just one choice among many, but the priority approach. Prolonging the life of buildings by adapting them and preserving their material and cultural value reduces both emissions and resource consumption. “Temporary structures concentrate their emissions into a short window, whereas durable buildings allow that environmental cost to be spread over time,” observes Muck Petzet. Sustainability, in this sense, begins with continuity rather than replacement.
Prof. Ena Lloret-Fritschi, for her part, frames the issue from a complementary perspective, focusing on how to act when intervention becomes necessary. “Practising sustainable architecture means, first and foremost, becoming aware of the impact of every single intervention.” The challenge isn’t about avoiding transformation altogether; instead, it’s about defining concrete paths to act with responsibility and precision, aware of the environmental price of every choice. This requires the development of tools that foster a deeper and faster understanding of existing buildings, revealing their structures, constraints, and potential from the earliest stages of the design process. Thanks to digital technologies and AI integration, it is now possible to thoroughly analyse a building in the preliminary phases, thereby defining targeted intervention strategies. In this light, technology becomes the driver of more conscious and informed action.
At IAST, this approach follows a clear hierarchy of interventions: first, reuse and repair; then, transformation; and, only as a final stage, demolition and new construction. In this context, sustainability is not an accessory, but the very essence of the principles that guide every choice at every level of design. This also implies a change in mindset regarding what we preserve, what we transform, and what we remove. Instead of maximising production, the focus shifts to reducing material use, responsible material selection, and optimising structural systems. The goal is not merely to contain impact, but to create resilient architectures-works capable of lasting, being repaired, and evolving with the climate. In this new paradigm, structural simplicity and robustness become the guiding criteria to eliminate complexity and reduce maintenance costs whenever possible.
The entire life cycle of all components
More broadly, IAST’s work is part of a larger disciplinary shift toward a culture of durability. Buildings are increasingly understood not as short-lived objects, but as structures that should endure, adapt, and be valued over time. This transition is the subject of heated debate regarding post-war building stock. Although often considered obsolete or lacking aesthetic merit, these structures contain precious materials and large amounts of stored carbon; their recovery therefore represents an extraordinary opportunity for the environment. In this context, the work developed at the institute spans different but closely related domains. It includes the conservation and transformation of modernist buildings, where repair becomes a central strategy, as well as the careful evaluation and adaptation of existing structures alongside the design of new ones. Structural considerations play a key role at all levels of intervention, ensuring safety, durability, and the efficient use of material resources.
This perspective also extends to more recent building heritage. Many structures from the 80s and 90s are reaching a point where intervention is necessary, yet they are often demolished to allow for urban densification. This raises an important question: how can we balance the need for transformation with the responsibility to preserve and reuse what already exists? For Prof. Lloret-Fritschi, sustainability is also “a matter of processes and material flows,” from extraction to transformation, assembly, and eventual reuse. Even when intervention is necessary, how materials are used becomes central. Ideally, this includes consideration of the entire life cycle, even if this remains a goal rather than a fully achievable condition.
Design, material, fabrication, and structural integrity must be conceived together. Geometry can become an important lever for reducing material use, while durability remains essential. In parallel, the production of structural elements must be conceived to promote a circular economy and reduce waste, aiming to optimise the use of matter. In this way, design choices are inextricably linked to construction processes and resource management. Prof. Muck Petzet completes this vision by emphasising the importance of context: “We can learn a lot from vernacular architecture,” he observes, pointing to the intelligence inherent in local materials and design capable of responding to the climate. At the same time, globally sourced materials remain an integral part of contemporary construction but require more careful evaluation: “Thinking sustainably also means resisting the logic of the cheapest option and considering the broader consequences, including the impact on local economies.”
Buildings integrated into their context
This reflects a broader condition: while knowledge can circulate globally-supported by digital technologies-materials remain tied to the place. The task is therefore to navigate between these scales, making informed decisions that respond to both the context and its constraints. Energy remains an important aspect, but both architects emphasise that it is only part of the equation. Passive strategies-orientation, natural ventilation, and thermal mass-remain fundamental. The buildings themselves can act as environmental systems, regulating the climate through their material and spatial properties rather than relying exclusively on technical systems. For the Director of IAST, this implies rethinking design priorities: “Geometry, structure, and materials offer great potential, but they must be considered together from the start.” Performance should not be an afterthought added to a project, but integrated into its conception. In this sense, technology supports a more efficient and precise use of resources. At the same time, both USI professors emphasise that sustainability cannot be reduced to simplified certifications or metrics. “There is no single solution,” notes Lloret-Fritschi. “Sometimes it makes sense to use earth, sometimes wood, sometimes concrete: the key is making conscious choices.” Digital tools can assist in this process, but they do not replace judgment. And economic constraints remain a central challenge. Often, sustainability clashes with the logic of immediate savings. Reuse can be complex and expensive, while new construction is often cheaper. As Muck Petzet observes, “if we focus only on the lowest cost, sustainability becomes unreachable.” This highlights the need to shift from initial cost to long-term value.
A mindset
Ultimately, the vision of the two architects converges on an essential point: sustainability is not an accessory to be added to a project, but a mindset (forma mentis) that pervades every phase, from the radical choice of whether to build or not, to the methods of intervention, to the building’s performance in the long term. The current transformation of cities, increasing resource constraints, and changed environmental conditions make this shift necessary and urgent. The question is no longer whether to build sustainably, but how to do so responsibly and realistically. For Prof. Muck Petzet, the direction is clear: “In the future, sustainable architecture will not remain a choice; it will become the norm.” Director Lloret-Fritschi adds that this transition will depend not only on innovation but also on the care with which we work with what already exists. At IAST, these perspectives merge. The institute positions itself at the intersection of heritage and construction, reuse and innovation, structure and technology, approaching sustainability not as a predefined model, but as a method of practice and research. It is an approach that begins with a careful understanding of what already exists, prioritises reuse and repair, and only then considers transformation and new construction, aiming to build less, build better, and build to last.
Produced and published in collaboration with laRegione.
The Global City Race: Competing Through Traditional and New Infrastructure
From transport networks to digital twins, infrastructure increasingly determines whether cities attract talent, investment and innovation – or fall behind in the global urban race.
In ancient times, cities used to compete for access to natural assets such as rivers, waterfronts and mountains. Farmable and fertile lands, protection and access to trade routes all represented critical resources to survive. Therefore, competition against other cities to control these resources was often unavoidable. While times changed, the quest for resources did not, especially for those cities that lead economic development. Smooth access to trade corridors is now relevant more than ever, and, in light of this, mobility infrastructures play a pivotal role in shaping competitiveness.
Today, Global cities require for a different set of critical inputs and, in fact, the competition shifted from controlling natural physical resources to attracting talent, capital and firms. As a consequence, they also became incubators where innovation flourished and, through clusterised approaches and specific frameworks, was nurtured and translated into tangible outcomes. In this light, infrastructures represent a key enabler of that competition.
International hubs are not born, they are built through forward looking policies that consider both present and future issues to provide the best possible services and environment conditions for citizens and businesses. While not being a completely zero-sum game, companies’ location decisions, which create jobs, talents preferences that drives innovation and investment decisions which provide funding are all simultaneously necessary and closely linked to the quality and quantity of services available in a particular geographical location. Of course, the social dimension is increasingly becoming an important variable in relocation decisions highlighting how the “human” component of a city can tip the scales.
For those cities that sit on the edge of innovation and strive for further economic development, these three factors (talents, companies and investments) are not optional but constitute the fundamental inputs they must attract in order to stay in the race and lead economic and social growth.
In this competition, infrastructures represent a critical enabler for growth which becomes central in accessing and providing services. In this light, physical and digital infrastructures play different but complementary roles: mobility infrastructures, for example, allow for a larger talent catchment area in the region surrounding Global Cities and also reduce constraints in terms of relocation preferences for the inward flow of foreign workers. Meanwhile, the adoption and implementation of digital infrastructure can enable the improvement and expansion of services by reducing negative externalities.
Infrastructure investments play different roles depending on urban scale, complexity and infrastructure endowment. In medium sized cities, physical mobility development mainly addresses accessibility gaps and generates direct economic effect, positive externalities and sustainability effects. In advanced and more complex urban environments such as Global Cities, the adoption of digital technologies increasingly supports both planning through real time data gathering and infrastructure performance through system wide optimisation. The need for infrastructural development was also underlined by McKinsey in their 2025 report. They estimate that by 2024 $106 trillion will be required to meet the need for new and updated infrastructures broken down in 7 sectors: transport and logistics ($36 trillion), energy and power ($23 trillion), digital ($19 trillion), social ($16 trillion), waste and water infrastructures ($6 trillion), agriculture ($5 trillion) and defense (2 trillion).
Unfortunately, progress is not homogeneous and the process of urbanisation is uneven. High income economies show degrees or urbanisation close to 80% and continents like Europe benefit from long historical infrastructure inheritance: the road and water networks the Roman empire spread throughout the continent has been further expanded and integrated with a relatively high density rail system which connects most cities and that has been recognised by the EU, through the TEN-T Regulation, as a fundamental backbone of European freight and citizens mobility . Nonetheless, in 2025, expanding public transport was the single biggest mobility priority for 60% of European mayors, according to Eurocities Pulse survey, alongside developing multimodal integrated systems. Economic issues such as insufficient funding aside, aging or inadequate infrastructure represented one of the main challenges for European mayors. These trends highlight the continued importance of investment in urban mobility infrastructure, particularly in cities where accessibility gaps remain significant.
Thessaloniki provides a contemporary example of how major transport infrastructure can reshape a medium-sized urban ecosystem. Historically characterised by high car dependency and limited public transport capacity, the city experienced a structural shift with the opening of its first metro line in 2024. As a fully automated rapid transit system connecting key areas along an east-west axis, the metro introduced a significant accessibility improvement reducing travel times of trips that required 40 minutes by car to 17 minutes, increasing the reliability of urban mobility while also having a positive impact on car use (15% reduction in downtown traffic) and emissions (estimated decrease of about 212 tonnes per day).
These accessibility gains are already generating early economic effects. Improved connectivity to central districts has increased footfall and accessibility for businesses, particularly in retail, hospitality and service sectors. Areas surrounding metro stations are beginning to attract new investment, reflecting typical patterns of transit-oriented development. At the same time, enhanced mobility supports broader urban productivity by expanding labour markets’ catchment area and facilitating agglomeration effects. The metro has also strengthened the city’s attractiveness for tourism and external investment, reinforcing its role as a regional hub.
The long-term economic transformation of the city will depend on future network extensions, integration with other transport modes and complementary urban policies. However, this case illustrates how mobility infrastructure can act as a catalyst for economic change by fundamentally improving accessibility and enabling wider urban dynamics to unfold.
While the Thessaloniki case underlines the role of physical infrastructure in addressing accessibility gaps and generating local economic effects, such approaches become less effective in larger and more complex urban systems, where the challenge shifts from expanding capacity to increasing performance efficiency of existing networks.
Singapore provides a contrasting example of how infrastructure contributes to economic performance in large and highly complex urban systems. Unlike medium-sized cities where physical accessibility remains a primary constraint, Singapore’s challenge lies in managing density, limited land and the increasing complexity of interconnected urban systems. In this context, the development of a digital twin platform, often referred to as “Virtual Singapore”, represents a shift from expanding infrastructure to increasing its performance efficiency through data-driven technologies.
The digital twin integrates real-time and geospatial data across multiple domains, including transport networks, land use, environmental conditions and population dynamics. This enables authorities to simulate urban scenarios, test infrastructure interventions before implementation and monitor system performance continuously. In the mobility sector, such capabilities support traffic optimisation and demand forecasting and more efficient allocation of resources, reducing congestion and improving network reliability. More broadly, the platform enhances planning precision and reduces uncertainty, allowing for faster and more informed decision-making.
These improvements translate into indirect but significant economic benefits. By increasing the efficiency of existing infrastructure and minimising planning errors, digital systems contribute to higher urban productivity and better use of scarce resources. At the same time, Singapore’s leadership in smart city technologies reinforces its attractiveness for global investment, innovation and high-skilled labour.
However, the effectiveness of such systems depends on strong institutional capacity, data governance and continuous technological investment. The Singapore case therefore illustrates how, in large urban systems, digital infrastructure plays an increasingly important role in enhancing the performance and economic value of existing physical networks through system-wide optimisation.
Both examples show how infrastructures represent a critical enabler of economic growth. In urban environments where accessibility gaps are still relevant, even basic mobility infrastructure and investment can have significant impacts in increasing citizens’ life quality, by reducing congestion, emission and increasing social inclusion. In Global Cities, where basic infrastructures often already exist, the challenge for urban planners is how to optimise the service and improve efficiency. In this context, the rationale must shift from technology oriented to goal oriented: adoption and integration of digital tools is useful only if it has a real measurable impact on service performance. These effects also shape the urban environment and its competitiveness not only in absolute terms but also in comparison to other urban environments, determining the attractiveness a Global City can project.
This Dossier aims to analyse the fields where competition between cities can determine a model’s success or its demise. On this journey, even the concept of competition between Cities will be challenged, highlighting how, nowadays, it narrows the narrative, missing three focal points: (i) while pursuing talent and tourist attraction, competition without holistic planning might create negative externalities for citizens, with perceived successes that may in fact be short lived, as highlighted in different guises by Steven Pedigo, Bo Nielsen & Christian Amussen and Harold Goodwin; (ii) Cities’ governance, as underlined by Francesco Billari, is still inadequate to address the scale of the challenges ahead, in a geopolitical context where national governments, while struggling, do not delegate decision making to urban policymakers; (iii) Cooperation is not optional in light of an increasing need for resources that no one can really access alone, as argued by Paolo Glisenti, and becomes paramount to imagine the future of cities in a world where the boundaries of urban environments continue to grow every day.
The novelty of this analysis is rooted in its challenge to mainstream competition narrative. The pursue of economic and status gains cannot happen at the expense of citizens, especially in times when cities increasingly find themselves facing challenges they are not capable of withstanding alone.
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