City of the New Century

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Describe your vision of the future. $250 The Editors’ Choice Visionary Award.

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Imagine a city that lives day and night, a city with a heartbeat that draws people in, to live, to thrive, to renew. At the heart of a vibrant city are people. People shape the culture of a city. Therefore, in planning the city of the new century, people and culture need to be centre.

Taking elements of the best cities around the world, the arts and parks become the central pulse of the city. Effective transportation are the arteries of the city, linking business, industry, culture with residential. Industry and business are the hands and feet that carry the city providing employment.

A healthy city has a balance of people of cultures and ages, providing a colourful combination that give life to the culture of the city. Culture is reflected in the flavours of foods, in the sounds of live theatre, in the colours of galleries, and in history of museums.

Restaurants represent the flavours of the world, titillating tastebuds, drawing people in for conversation, for relationships and for friendships. Cultures around the world celebrate over food, it draws people in, providing a background for sharing and shaping relationships.

Theatre, galleries, and museums arouse the senses, taking us to a place of imagination, an escape from reality. For a city, the arts provide an opportunity to remember, to explore new ideas, and it holds a mirror to society for self-reflection.

Every city needs a place to place to play and refresh. Parks provide this as well as colour for all generations. There is nothing as romantic as walking hand in hand with the special someone under the cherry blossoms. Parks provide the setting to relax, to unwind by stopping to smell the roses. Water parks give an opportunity for everyone to cool off and have fun. The sound of flowing water, trickling over rocks, adds to the feelings of relaxation.

Linking all aspects is the network of public transport. In the new generation of the city, a mixture of public transport options including subways, trams, and buses, link with walkways and bikeways. A city based on coordinated public transport and linked walkways is much preferred over clogging a city with cars. As well as reducing vehicles in the city, having more people on a comprehensive public transport network, allows for continual development and improvement networks. Another benefit is the reduction in pollution, providing a cleaner, healthier city.

Finally, a city that focuses on people, needs to have a comprehensive social welfare program. The caring nature of people helping people provides hope to people. To know that there are people that care, that will go the extra mile, that there are services to look after the poor, the disadvantaged is what makes cities and societies human.
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This is an entry from our Editors’ Choice Visionary Award

Want to submit your own entry? Enter here! Top post gets $250.

Deadline May 31, 2018

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