- The pedestrian and vehicle congestion
around South by Southwest
is an excellent example
of how unprepared today's cities are
for the growth the experts are predicting
over the next few decades.
Luckily the speakers and attendees, here,
have a whole lot of ideas
for how to fix that.
(easy listening music)
According to the United Nations,
the world's population is set to increase
from about 7.3 billion people today
to 9.7 billion in 2015.
The proportion of humans
who live in urban areas
is expected to jump from 54% to 66%.
Many of today's cities are not prepared
to handle today's crowds, let
alone, that kind of increase.
It's evident everywhere
in South by Southwest
in Austin, Texas,
from sidewalk and cyclist traffic,
to the solid red line that represents
the highway on map apps,
which localists tell me has been red
since map apps had existed.
But you can see plenty of
solutions in play here, too.
Beyond bicycle rickshaws,
there are shared cars available
from a few different corporate
sponsors for in-town trips,
and Lyft and Uber both have
huge presences at the festival.
Of course, cities will need need
to take more drastic measures
than that in the future.
Jonathan already covered
the potential held
by autonomous cars, and
switching car ownership
from private to public.
Other discussion are moving in basically
two different directions here.
On side A, there are concept meant
to modernize existing infrastructures,
like roads and mass transit.
In these, "big data" and
the "internet of things"
aren't just buzz words,
they're the solvent
that will break down today's traffic woes.
The Secretary of the US
Department of Transportation
is here, with finalists competing
in the Smart City Challenge,
in which the government plans to award
up to 40 million dollars
for clean, efficient,
data-driven ideas for how
we'll get around in the future.
Other panels are talking
about how to make,
not just our cars and
mobile devices smart,
but our roads, buildings,
and traffic signs, too.
On side B, there are
concepts to build alongside,
and above, and below
what we've already got.
Some entrepreneurs are
talking about bringing
Elon Musk's Hyperloop into reality.
There's a project trying
to make aerial cable cars,
the future of commuting in New York City.
And one group is studying whether
small, high-speed pods running
on raised, electric rails,
could work right here in Austin.
Which of these solutions
captures your imagination?
And which do you think
are the most practical
for your local urban environment?
Get in touch and let us know.
And for lots more about the
increasing incredible future,
check in with
now.howstuffworks.com everyday.
(dong)
