December 03, 2024 – The car is part of today’s society, an integral component of our complex living environment. But what will this look like in the future, especially in cities?
Vision of urban futures
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Vision of urban futures
December 03, 2024 – The car is part of today’s society, an integral component of our complex living environment. But what will this look like in the future, especially in cities?
Progress is never clearly defined and constantly subject to debate. To recognise social developments and people’s needs at an early stage, we have established a global knowledge network with experts from various fields – from sociologists and philosophers to scientists, artists, futurists and architects through to start-ups and high-tech companies. Many people already live, work and spend most of their leisure time in cities. And here, too, is where technical and social innovations generally find their first applications. Mercedes-Benz is therefore in dialogue with cities worldwide, particularly regarding their smart city strategies. The emergence of smart cities will significantly influence the way we travel in urban areas in future – with greater efficiency and sustainability.
Based on diverse, continuous exchange of knowledge, Mercedes-Benz futurists have developed future images of the cities of London, Los Angeles and Shenzhen in the years beyond 2040. They show examples of how urban areas in Europe, the USA and China could alter as a result of digitalisation and climate change. The speed of transformation varies greatly due to political, cultural, economic and climate conditions. The images created through international collaboration serve as inspiration for possible and desirable futures. The exchange of knowledge and opinion forms the basis for optimum integration of vehicles into the city – and thus the starting point for future Mercedes-Benz cooperations with smart cities.
For the British capital, London, the vision for 2040+ foresees a combination of progressiveness with history and tradition. Inner-city neighbourhoods could be redesigned to make them more liveable and sustainable. The result would be a mixture of old buildings and new structures with more trees, parks, green roofs and façades as well as shared public spaces. In addition to reduced car traffic, there could be cycle “motorways” and local public transport. Centralised parking solutions could function as transport hubs linking cars, bicycles and public transport, while robo-taxis drive through the city. In the vision for London, electric vans and cargo bikes are the predominant solutions for last-mile transport. Almost all vehicles could have an electric or electrified drive.
In the vision for Los Angeles, the individual car still has a high priority in 2040+ due to the city’s extensive sprawl and long distances. Digitalisation of outdated infrastructure could reduce traffic complexity and distribute parking space more intelligently. More than 50 per cent of all private vehicles could be fully electric. Many of these could be equipped with photovoltaics. Automated vehicles and robo-taxis could have their own lane. The first separate cycle paths may be in place. Living, leisure, working and shopping areas are spatially separated. Numerous green spaces on formerly sealed surfaces could provide a better quality of life and protect against extreme heat. There could be greened building façades and public drinking fountains, while water collection systems such as rain gardens could enable efficient use of water.
The southern Chinese city of Shenzhen already has a comprehensive 5G mobile network. This makes it a leader in digital transformation compared to London and Los Angeles. The city is home to numerous high-tech companies and is therefore an innovation hub. In 2040+, traffic could be managed with the help of artificial intelligence, connectivity and digital infrastructure. Many automated vehicles would then be travelling on separate convoy lanes, networked via an integrated “vehicle road cloud”. Due to building density, it would be conceivable to arrange traffic flow vertically on different levels. Vehicle-to-X communication (V2X) could become standard, and logistics could be automated using robots and drones. In the vision for Shenzhen, all vehicles have electric or electrified drive and generate some of their own electricity via solar modules. Cyclists have separate lanes and pedestrians have clearly marked footpaths. High-speed trains and VTOLs (Vertical Take Off and Landing) could be used to transport goods and people to neighbouring cities, while an abundance of parks and green infrastructure amid the densely packed high-rises could ensure good air quality and low heat build-up in summer.
