Our theme for the sixth edition of the C2 Montréal international business conference is Ecosystems. Throughout this new leg in our journey at the confluence of commerce and creativity, we will contemplate the complex networks and interconnected systems we are part of, and embark on an in-depth exploration of the trends and transformations that are having a growing impact on business and on our hyperconnected world. In particular, we will be diving into five intertwined networks of content: Talent, Marketing, Entertainment, Cities and Moonshots.
Here are a few ideas and reading (and watching) suggestions to get the conversation started about Cities.
How do we rethink and redesign our cities?
Half of the world’s population now lives in cities, increasing the pressure on the infrastructure, housing and social fabric of these high-energy ecosystems. In some parts of the world, old cities evolve through a cycle of iteration, creating a mix of legacy and aspiration to be discovered at every corner. In other parts, new cities are built from the ground up, neatly engineered from the start. Smart cities, megacities, remote communities: big or small, these breathing ecosystems deal with humanity’s greatest challenges and opportunities – diversity, inclusivity, connectivity, mobility, security and sustainability.
Cities brings together the entirety of our 2017 themes: the city is where we live, where we create, where we are entertained, where talent is shaped and applied to build the future. From within the C2 village, we will explore cities as places of collision, but also as living organisms, exploring intertwined notions of architecture, transport, population and public squares (both literally and metaphorically).
- An interactive visualization of the history of urbanization: Watch as the world’s cities appear one-by-one over 6,000 years – Metrocosm
- Must-see documentary on the positive change that is possible: Tomorrow
- Learn about the ideas of urban thinker Jane Jacobs – Project for Public Spaces
- On simulating the richness of urban fabric: How big data and The Sims are helping us to build the cities of the future – The Conversation
- This year’s Pritzker prize-winning architect’s roadmap to a new urban reality: Two billion more people will live in cities by 2035. This could be very good – or very bad, Alejandro Aravena, The Guardian
- Discover artist Stefan Larsson’s take on cities as living organisms: AUJIK
- On “containing urban sprawl”: There are ways to let cities sprawl without destroying the environment and marginalizing the poor – QZ
- A few learnings from the Pokémon GO craze: Pokémon GO is changing how cities use public space, but could it be more inclusive? – The UrbanWire
- How we could be moving more smoothly: 16 ways to design a better intersection – and better cities – WIRED
- Lecture by Fahd Al Rasheed, the CEO of King Abdullah Economic City: Building a new city from the ground up – Stanford Graduate School of Business
- MIT class on the Theory of City Form: The city as organism
- What if cities became a service rather than a physical place: Will technology render cities obsolete? – London Institute
- The city as a video game: Highly detailed city simulation is the new autonomous taxi dispatch – MIT Technology Review
- Leaders from Didi and Grab discuss business of ridesharing: Everyone vs. Uber – Recode
If you’re in Montréal on November 29, 2016, attend Intersections Vol.1: City & Digital, “How the digital revolution transforms our cities” at the Canadian Centre for Architecture.
If you pass by New York City in the coming months, visit Insecurities: Tracing Displacement and Shelter, on exhibit at the MoMA through January 22, 2017.
From the Minutes
Here are a few insights previous C2 speakers had about cities:
- The city movement – Dr. Maxwell Anderson, Executive Director of New Cities Foundation & Erik Grab, VP Strategic Anticipation, Innovation and Sustainable Development, Michelin Group
- Moving into a 3D web – Tasha McCauley, Director of Business Development at GeoSim Systems
These reflections will evolve in the next weeks and months. As we share them with you today, they are destined to take on a life of their own. What have we missed? How would you like this conversation to unfold? Who absolutely needs to be a part of it?
Let us know on Twitter and Facebook. We are just getting started.
