Flying taxis, high-speed rail, emissions-free buildings and transportation: Some long-held dreams of urban futurists are moving forward in 2024.
Cities also are taking advantage of increased federal funding and growing public sentiment to address some long-neglected issues, like the shortage of affordable housing and the impacts of climate change, especially on disadvantaged communities. At the same time, however, cities are confronting problems that stem from the pandemic: empty office buildings, hollowed-out downtowns and public transit systems hobbled by changes in commuting. In some cases, new technologies are providing new solutions; other new technologies, like generative AI, are cause for both optimism and caution by city leaders.
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