The role of cities and their impact on our lives has never been more important.

For most of us, our futures lie in (and with) the future of cities. More than 50% of the world’s population live in cities, more than 70% work in cities, and 80% of the world’s economic value is generated in cities. They are the powerhouses of economic growth and innovation.

But cities are also contributors to many of the global environmental and societal challenges we all face – amongst them climate change, depletion of world’s resources, management of water and waste, and growing inequalities.

Tackling these problems requires innovative solutions, which bring together academic knowledge and the skills of practitioners. It needs a shared appreciation of the origins and natures of each challenge. And it requires collaborative working with citizens to bring about fundamental but essential changes in social and economic behaviour.

We hope you will join us at the Institute for Future Cities to help unlock potential in cities and improve quality of human life in urban areas.

On this website you can find out about some of the innovative ways and projects in which the Institute for Future Cities is currently helping to make a difference to people’s lives in cities. You can also learn more about the opportunities to collaborate with us in projects, learn with us for professional development, and we hope engage with us in debate to help make cities of the future desirable and liveable locations to live and invest.