10 smart cities that will be built around the world

When we talk about the future, several uncertainties hang over it. What we can expect is an evolution of several issues that are present today, such as sustainability , for example. If you’re one of those curious people who wants to know what the future holds, we have a spoiler – at least in terms of new constructions. Below we’ve listed 10 smart cities with the most ambitious projects currently being built around the world. Check it out!

The Line, Saudi Arabia

The Saudi Arabian government has revealed images of a 170-kilometer-long, 500-meter-high city project planned by the Neom architecture firm . The location will be able to accommodate an average population of 9 million people (just to give you an idea, São Paulo – which is considered a large metropolis – has 12 million), who will be divided into a linear city that is only 200 meters wide. The proposal to facilitate travel is to have a transport system that will connect the two ends in 20 minutes . The city was designed as an alternative to the traditional circular urban layout , with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman touting it as "a model for nature preservation and greater human habitability".

Telosa, United States

Danish architect Bjarke Ingels and his studio BIG are planning Telosa, a city of five million people that will be built from scratch in a US desert – the exact location has not yet been revealed. The project is the brainchild of billionaire businessman Marc Lore, who hopes it will become " the most sustainable city in the world ."

BiodiverCity, Malaysia

Another city being built by BIG has the sustainable purpose in its name. It will be more than 1,800 hectares divided into three artificial islands built off the coast of Penang Island, in Malaysia, for the state government. The government's expectation is that each of the islands will be able to house between 15,000 and 18,000 inhabitants . The buildings will be constructed primarily using a combination of bamboo , wood and concrete produced from recycled materials , with an ecological buffer around each district to support biodiversity.

New Administrative Capital, Egypt

Egypt is building a brand new capital that will house up to 7 million people. The main aim is to ease congestion in Cairo , the country's rapidly growing capital. Architecture firm SOM has produced a masterplan for the privately financed project, which will cover 700 square kilometres and feature one of the largest urban parks in the world.

Amaravati, India

Situated on the banks of the Krishna River, the city of Amaravati will be the new capital of the state of Andhra Pradesh , India. It will be organized around a spire-topped government building and will feature more than 60 percent of the entire central area occupied by vegetation or water.

Another sustainable idea is the project by architect Stefano Boeri , who is working on a real smart forest near the trendy Cancun . The city will have more than 7.5 million plants and trees to absorb carbon from the 557 hectares. "Smart Forest City Cancun is a botanical garden within a contemporary city, based on Mayan heritage and its relationship with the natural and sacred world," said Boeri's studio. The city's project is designed to house 130,000 people in affordable, plant-covered homes and aims to pioneer a more sustainable way of living in the city.

The Orbit, Canada

Another smart, environmentally-focused city is The Orbit, a colony that aims to transform a Canadian agricultural town through technology such as fiber optics, drones and autonomous vehicles . Toronto-based firm Partisans has described its project as a modern take on the garden city movement that emerged in the UK in the early 20th century. It aims to balance new technologies with the agrarian landscape.

Maldives Floating City, Maldives

The famous and paradisiacal Maldives need help to contain the negative impacts that climate change has on sea levels . It is believed that much of the Maldives will be uninhabitable by 2050, which is why the country's government has partnered with Waterstudio . The idea is to design a floating city that will house 20,000 people in a lagoon near the capital over the next two years. Billed by the architects as "the world's first true floating island city", the project will include 5,000 low-lying floating homes and will be built in a series of hexagonal structures that rise with the sea.

Chengdu Future City, China

Architects from Dutch firm OMA are envisioning a car-free city for the capital of Sichuan province. The bold plan aims to challenge the current urbanization model, which is always based on highways and maximizing gross area. Set to occupy a 4.6 square kilometer site, Chengdu Future City will focus on the land's undulating topography, with six distinct zones designed to blend into the surrounding landscape. All buildings within each zone will be accessible on foot within 10 minutes , while a "smart mobility network" will provide automated vehicles to connect the city to the rest of Chengdu.

Innovation Park, United States

Cryptocurrency mogul Jeffrey Berns has decided to use blockchain technology to transform part of the Nevada desert into a smart city. With the help of architecture studios Ehrlich Yanai Rhee Chaney Architects and Tom Wiscombe Architecture , he aims to transform the 27,113-hectare site into a community where people can deposit, vote and store data without the involvement of governments or third parties. Source: Dezeen