Norman Foster is a champion of cities. As he launches the Norman Foster Institute in Madrid this month, he argues: 'The future of our society is the future of our cities. They are our greatest invention.' Foster sees cities as engines of innovation and positive change, resilient and adaptable in the face of adversity.
Not that cities need much championing of course. Around 90 per cent of the world’s wealth is created in cities and they account for 90 per cent of its population growth. More and more people are moving to cities and being born there. And with that growth come serious issues. Cities are already huge consumers of energy and resources, responsible for 70 per cent of global CO2 emissions. And that share is only likely to increase. Meanwhile, housing supply runs short, infrastructure crumbles and services buckle under the strain.
