What this domain covers
Cities and infrastructure are becoming more connected, electrified, data-rich and software-enabled. Transportation, buildings, utilities and public systems increasingly depend on digital layers that shape how physical assets are designed and operated.
What belongs here
- Smart and resilient infrastructure
- Urban reinvention
- Intelligent transportation
- Connected buildings
- Digital twins for infrastructure
- Distributed energy systems
- Infrastructure automation
Why it matters
Infrastructure decisions last for decades. The challenge is to build for a future in which energy systems, mobility, climate pressures, digital networks and citizen expectations may change much faster than the assets themselves.
Beyond smart, we are building living cities: integrated ecosystems designed for a resilient, equitable, and profoundly human future.
— Jim Carroll
In Jim’s words
From “Megatrends One Year Later – #25: Urban Reimagination – What I Predicted, and What’s Actually Happening” (September 2026)
So did cities actually become “integrated urban ecosystems”? The pieces are further along than the mobility headline suggests. Digital twins — the “urban operating system” I wrote about — are now a $26.4 billion market in 2026, on pace toward roughly $428 billion by 2034, and in China they’re evolving into full “city brain” systems that fuse digital twins, IoT, and big data for real-time traffic and infrastructure management. Amsterdam, Copenhagen, and Barcelona are running live versions; the EU’s Local Digital Twins and Destination Earth programs are scaling the same approach across the bloc. Cities are not just growing, they are evolving into integrated systems for food, energy, transportation, and living that function very different from urban environments. This represents a massive infrastructure opportunity.
From “Decoding Tomorrow: 30 Megatrends - #25 Urban Reimagination : “Beyond smart, we are building living cities: integrated ecosystems designed for a resilient, equitable, and profoundly human future.”” (July 2025)
What’s it all about? Cities worldwide are undergoing their most profound transformation since the Industrial Revolution. This is not merely about making cities “smarter ” with technology, but about a fundamental rethinking of the entire concept and layout of a city. It’s not just about a bunch of smart technology, but a complete rethinking of systems for food, energy, transportation, and living. By 2035, this shift will redefine urban life, particularly as the world accommodates 67 megacities housing a combined 670 million people. Cities are not just growing, they are evolving into integrated systems for food, energy, transportation, and living that function very different from urban environments. This represents a massive infrastructure opportunity, particularly as 67 megacities (cities with over 10 million inhabitants) will exist, with a combined population of approximately 670 million. It’s called the ” integrated city” , and it’s a pretty significant transformation of what we think of as urban areas.
Explore Jim’s writing in this domain:
Megatrends One Year Later – #25: Urban Reimagination – What I Predicted, and What’s Actually Happening
Decoding Tomorrow: 30 Megatrends - #25 Urban Reimagination : “Beyond smart, we are building living cities: integrated ecosystems designed for a resilient, equitable, and profoundly human future.”