How Long Are We Going To Need That City?

At an altitude of 4830 metres on the Everest Base Camp Trek, guess what you can find? WiFi access.

- Luke Beirne

Which means you can work, Facetime your loved ones, or Instagram your Everest selfies. By dispensing with the need for a physical presence, technology has made it possible to communicate, share and work remotely in some of the most isolated locations on Earth.

For centuries, people have gravitated towards the bright lights and busy streets of cities to make their mark on the world. But what if the skylines of London, New York, Tokyo, Sydney and Johannesburg made way for the open landscapes, quiet streets and chirping birds found in the rural towns of their countries? As technology advances and the nature of workplaces and jobs radically change, and fewer jobs require a physical presence, the need for people to continue flocking to cities could diminish. Could we see the start of counter-urbanisation with the world’s population increasingly living rurally instead of in cities? Could this be the answer to the monumental task faced by cities under enormous pressure from population growth, urbanisation and climate change?

The Concrete Jungle’s Becoming Crowded

By 2050, the world’s urban population is projected to grow by 2.5 billion, with 68% of the population living in cities (an increase from 55% in 2018). The pace of growth is strongest in developing countries with the United Nations estimating there could be 43 megacities (up from 31 today) with more than 10-million inhabitants – mostly in developing countries – by 2030. Global migration is further contributing to the growth of cities, as new migrants prefer to live in the metropolises of their newly-found countries as opposed to rural areas. This leads to cities even in relatively remote countries like Australia buckling under the strain of stretched infrastructure.