the future of Metro Vitality, April 2015

Club of Amsterdam

London

pdf version

A collaboration between the Association of Professional Futurists and the Club of Amsterdam and hosted by ARUP Foresight + Research + Innovation.

Videos

Josef Hargrave, Associate – Foresight + Research + Innovation at Arup

Dan Hill, Executive Director, Futures and Best Practice, Future Cities Catapult

Charles Landry – International authority on the use of imagination and creativity in urban change

This event will focus on the human aspect of the Future of Cities. The soft architecture of cities.

There are many conversations on the technology and infrastructure of our cities of the future. But on the social and cultural side there is less depth. Extrapolations from generational models derived from a pre-digital world seem archaic. Personas based on smart consumer electronics seem limited. Yet much of the value created by cities comes from culture and people, not from hard structures.

And a whole cluster of trends means that people in cities seem to have more in common with each other than with people living in their own country outside of the city. Are we watching a deep global change in values and understanding – led by the boom in city living?

This collaborative gathering with the Association of Professional Futurists and the Club of Amsterdam uses their approach of a short set of talks then a facilitated across floor dialogue.

Josef Hargrave, Associate – Foresight + Research + Innovation at Arup

Josef sets out possibilities for Future City Architectures into which metro vitality will play

Josef will draw upon the work of ARUP Foresight for his presentation. The ARUP Foresight group have been particularly active in thinking about the social as well as the built future of cities in the past year. This is exemplified by their recent Cities Alive projects ‘Rethinking Green Architecture’ and just published Rethinking the Shades of the Night

Dan Hill, Executive Director, Futures and Best Practice, Future Cities Catapult

Charles Landry – International authority on the use of imagination and creativity in urban change

Cities of Ambition: vitality and viability

The aim of great city making should be to create the conditions to allow people to think, plan and act with imagination in making, shaping and co-creating their city.

Drawing on his recent study of 30 European cities Charles will seek to answer the question:

“What do cities do to make the most of their potential and why do some punch above their expected weight”.

14:00 – 14:10 Opening Welcome by Josef Hargrave , Arup, and Nick Price, Association of Professional Futurists – APF

Our moderator is
Nick Price, Association of Professional Futurists – APF

14:10 – 14:30
Josef Hargrave, Associate – Foresight + Research + Innovation at Arup
Josef sets out possibilities for Future City Architectures into which metro vitality will play
14:30 – 14:40 Table Discussion

14:40 – 15:00 Dan Hill, Executive Director, Futures and Best Practice, Future Cities Catapult
15:00 – 15:10 Table Discussion

15:10 – 15:30
Charles Landry – International authority on the use of imagination and creativity in urban change
Cities of Ambition: vitality and viability
15:30 – 15:40 Table Discussion

15:40 – 16:00 Coffee Break

16:00 – 16:45 Dialogue Session (Club of Amsterdam style room discussion)
16:45 – 17:30 Workshop (APF Facilitated) (Coffee in the background)
17:30 – 17:45 Wrap

Josef Hargrave
Associate – Foresight + Research + Innovation at Arup

Josef is an Associate in Arup’s global Foresight + Research + Innovation team. He specialises in exploring and envisioning the future of the built environment. Josef focusses on the coordination and delivery of our global and regional foresight activities, working across all scales and sectors, including cities, buildings and spaces. He is particularly interested in how trends in society and technology will transform future human experiences; and how people themselves will impact future design.
www.arup.com
www.driversofchange.com

Dan Hill
Executive Director, Futures and Best Practice, Future Cities Catapult

Dan Hill is a designer and urbanist, Dan previously served as CEO of Italian communications research centre and design studio, Fabrica, and has held leadership positions at the Finnish Innovation Fund, SITRA, as well as Arup, Monocle, and the BBC.
futurecities.catapult.org.uk

Charles Landry
International authority on the use of imagination and creativity in urban change

Charles Landry developed the concept of the ‘creative city’. Its central idea is how cities in transformation can think, plan and act with more imagination in order to address the dramatic changes happening around them. Charles helps cities transform their thinking so that they reassess their potential and can plan their future with greater purpose and originality. He assesses the interplay and the impacts of deeper global trends and attempts to ground these in practical initiatives. He is an authority on creativity and its uses and how city futures are shaped by paying attention to the culture of a place. He inspires, stimulates, challenges and facilitates transformation.
www.charleslandry.com

Nick Price
Association of Professional Futurists – APF

Nick Price is a creative business consultant. His background is as a futurist in design, user experience, technology and business. He works with commercial and public service clients, is a member of the Association of Professional Futurists and co-organises their program of meetings, known as Gatherings, in the UK.
profuturists.org