Cities are an integral part of political, economic, and social strategies. They represent innovation, progress, and change, but also bear great responsibility regarding climate change, social justice and inclusivity, mobility, health, and the future of work. “Future Cities – A Transatlantic Townhall Project” aims to raise awareness for the complexity of the city of tomorrow among a wide range of stakeholders in society and to provide new impetus for the development of future scenarios. Within the framework of transatlantic discourse, topics such as pandemic preparedness, climate change, the future of work, digitalization, mobility, structural inequalities, and racism need to be addressed and better understood. To this end, this project brings together a diverse group of representatives from politics, culture, sports, art, health, media, as well as many other relevant urban actors in Berlin, Atlanta, and Los Angeles, supporting sustainable and future-oriented development within these cities and promoting transatlantic exchange between them. What should the city of the future look like? What role can transatlantic relations play in shaping it? How can cities be designed in a more sustainable, inclusive, innovative, and resilient manner?
The project is supported by the Stiftung Deutsche Klassenlotterie Berlin.
When it comes to topics such as the future of work and mobility, environmental sustainability, social justice, healthcare, housing or digitalization, the cities we live in have to be the drivers of positive change. This project embeds these drivers in a transatlantic context and proactively contributes to setting the course in the right direction.
Kick-off event in Berlin: “Fit for the future? A sustainable path to urban development and planning”
On September 7, 2022, as part of the “Future-City” project, the public kick-off event on “Fit for Future? A Sustainable Path Towards Urban Construction and City Planning” was held. The event opened with a keynote speech by Hanna Steinmüller, MdB (Bündnis 90/Die Grünen). This was followed by a panel discussion with Prof. Dr. Philipp Bouteiller, Managing Partner, Artprojekt; Andreas Gebhard, Founder & CEO, re:publica and Chairman of the Foundation Board, Stiftung Zukunft Berlin and Elisabeth Mansfeld, Alfred Herrhausen Gesellschaft. The event was accompanied by contributions from our transatlantic working group.
Discussion in Los Angeles: “Smart Solutions: Technology and the City in a Post-COVID World”
As part of “Future Cities – A Transatlantic Townhall Project,” Aspen Institute Germany hosted a discussion on “Smart Solutions: Technology and the City in a Post-COVID World” on December 8, 2022 in Los Angeles. The event featured selected stakeholders on-site in Los Angeles, as well as virtual guests from Berlin and Atlanta. After the opening by Erin Bromaghim, Deputy Mayor for International Affairs in Los Angeles, and the German Consul General Stefan Schneider, various aspects of digitization in the urban and transatlantic context were discussed.
Workshop and panel discussion in Atlanta: “Responsive and Responsible Cities: Implementing Urban Futures”
As part of “Future Cities – A Transatlantic Townhall Project,” Aspen Institute Germany hosted a discussion on “Responsive and Responsible Cities: Implementing Urban Futures” on June 26, 2023 in Atlanta. The event featured selected stakeholders on-site in Atlanta, as well as virtual guests from Berlin and Los Angeles. The workshop was accompanied by input from Janean Lewis (Senior Policy Advisor to Mayor Andre Dickens, Youth Development & Education, Chief Policy Office, City of Atlanta) and Erica J. Bolden (Head of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and People Analytics, Mercedes-Benz USA). Panelists included Paige Alexander (CEO, The Carter Center), Clyde Higgs (President & CEO, Atlanta BeltLine Inc.), Vanessa Ibarra (Director, Mayor’s Office of International & Immigrant Affairs, City of Atlanta) and Anna Roach (Executive Director & CEO, Atlanta Regional Commission).
Final Conference “Future Cities – A Transatlantic Townhall Project” in Berlin
As a conclusion to the project, Aspen Germany hosted a transatlantic hybrid conference in Berlin on October 12, 2023. This conference brought together over 80 distinguished participants from Germany, Europe, the United States, and other parts of the world to collectively discuss the development of the city of the future. You can access the event’s agenda here.
Scenario workshops
A central component of this process is the development of future scenarios. Scenario planning in the form of transatlantic conferences raises awareness of the complexity of tomorrow’s city among social actors. In addition, new impetus is given to challenges and opportunities such as pandemics, climate change, the future of work, digitalization and mobility, and dealing with structural inequalities and racism. The application of the scenario methodology in workshops and events enables participants to think outside known structures over a period of two years and to develop answers to diverse questions through concrete future scenarios.
Publications
Future Cities: A Transatlantic Townhall Project Final Report
The fourth and final publication of the project succinctly summarizes the results and insights from the two-year endeavor, including visionary perspectives on the future of urban development, sustainability, and innovation.
Townhall Dispatch: Cities, Inclusion, and the Next Generation Supporting Leadership of Young People in the Civic and Social Sectors: Case Study Atlanta
The third edition of our Townhall Dispatch on the future of cities in the transatlantic context with a focus on youth empowerment in Atlanta is now available online.
Townhall Dispatch: A Social Future? Inequality and Cities in the Transatlantic Context
The second edition of our Townhall Dispatch on the future of cities in the transatlantic context with a focus on social inequality is now available online.
A Good Place to (Re-)Start: Acknowledging and Advancing the Role of Cities in Transatlantic Relations
The first publication of the 2022 Future Cities project on “A Good Place to (Re-)Start: Acknowledging and Advancing the Role of Cities in Transatlantic Relations” is now online!
