5 urban transformation stories from 2023

This article is brought to you thanks to the collaboration of The European Sting with the World Economic Forum.

Author: Lisa Chamberlain, Communication Lead, Urban Transformation, World Economic Forum

• These are some of our most-read stories on urban transformation from this year.
• The urban environment, city transformations, climate change and technological solutions continue to move up the agenda.
• From the world’s most expensive cities to fungi-based construction materials and flying taxis, these are some of 2023’s talking points.

Urban transformation has been a hot topic in 2023 – whether it’s the changing face of our cities, tackling the ever-emerging impacts of climate change, or the incredible innovations in technology that can provide solutions, there’s been a lot to cover.

These are just some of the most-read articles from the world of urban transformation in 2023.

1. Asian cities top the list of the world’s most expensive places to live

The Julius Baer Lifestyle Index, an annual ranking of the world’s most expensive cities, revealed the noteworthy shifts in luxury living costs over the past year. Asia emerged as the costliest region, with Singapore surpassing Shanghai as the world’s most expensive city.

Hong Kong moved from the fourth to third most expensive city, while Bangkok climbed from 15th to 11th. Elsewhere, Miami experienced the most significant increase, rising from 18th to 10th place, while Dubai (14th to 7th) and Jakarta (19th to 12th) also climbed in rankings.

Factors contributing to elevated living costs include heightened demand for premium goods (particularly wine and whiskey), along with increased expenses in travel and hospitality due to post-pandemic surges – compounded by inflation – as well as supply chain disruptions and currency fluctuations.

These are the most expensive cities in 2023

2. How trees can help cut heat-related deaths in urban areas

Increasing urban tree cover to 30% could prevent over a third of premature deaths caused by excessive city heat, according to a study in The Lancet.

Excess urban heat causes thousands of deaths across the globe every year. The study identified 6,700 premature deaths in 93 European cities attributed to summer heat. Researchers found that elevating tree cover across 93 European cities would save 2,644 lives, mitigating the urban heat island effect and reducing mean temperatures by 0.4°C.

Trees offer a natural solution to urban heat challenges, fostering cooler and healthier urban environments.

Trees for life: Making our cities greener can cut early deaths by a third

3. Urban transformation on the agenda at Davos 2023

As we look ahead to our Annual Meeting in January, it’s worth a reminder of some of the key lessons we took from Davos 2023 into the year.

From climate action to the circular economy and the impact of innovation and technology, the future of cities is being shaped by many of the same larger forces that are shaping our wider futures.

So what did we take away from our last Annual Meeting?

• Public-private partnership and joint initiatives remain central to building better cities and tackling the challenges that we face.
• To set cities on a more sustainable path, embracing nature and circularity is absolutely essential.
• Technology will help speed along urban transformation, but we must get the governance right.
• Entrepreneurs and innovation have a central role in defining the future of urban life.

Davos 2023: key takeaways for cities and local economies

4. Eco-friendly ‘mycocrete’ could be a construction industry game-changer

An innovative construction material made using knitted moulds and the root network of fungi was hailed as having the potential to revolutionize the construction industry.

Developed by scientists at Newcastle University, UK, mycocrete is stronger and more versatile than previous bio-based building materials and could help reduce the industry’s environmental impact.

The groundbreaking process involves injecting a mycelium mixture, including paper powder, water, glycerin and xanthan gum, into knitted formwork. This results in a strong product that provides a sustainable alternative to traditional construction materials like foam, timber and plastic.

“Our ambition is to transform the look, feel and well-being of architectural spaces using mycelium in combination with biobased materials such as wool, sawdust and cellulose,” said Dr Jane Scott of Newcastle University, part of the research team behind mycocrete’s development.

Scientists develop ‘mycocrete’ from fungi that could revolutionize the construction industry

5. World’s first flying taxi marks lift-off for autonomous transport

A Chinese start-up became the world’s first company to receive a certificate of airworthiness for an autonomous flying taxi.

China’s EHang achieved the milestone for its EH216-S – a two-seater electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. The certification, which was issued by the Civil Aviation Administration of China, marks a significant step towards launching autonomous air taxi flights for the public.

Meanwhile, the technology behind flying taxis was covered in more depth earlier in the year with a report on VTOLs, which are similar to helicopters but can feature both wings as well as propellers.

They are expected to reduce urban journey times for passengers and goods in the coming years, making many city journeys up to 75% faster.

The UK has been trialling the technology, and plans are underway to construct more VTOL infrastructure around the world.

World’s first flying taxi, and other technology stories you need to read

Flying taxis are getting closer to becoming a reality. Here’s the technology behind them