FEATURE FUTURE CITIES
WSP’s team in Sweden is working on many such regeneration projects, solving problems that are common across Europe and North America. In Stockholm they are retrofitting housing stock to make it more energy efficient, delivering a new underground line underneath the centre of the city, and masterplanning a new district on 236ha of former industrial land by the harbour, which is intended to be fossil-fuel-free in less than 20 years. “Regeneration is a very complex thing, and to successfully complete a project we must consider not only masterplanning and design, but new technologies, innovative ways to finance them, and how best to communicate with the residents about what’s happening to their home,” says Ann-Kristin Karlsson, Director of Sustainable Cities at WSP Sweden. “Our approach varies from project to project – sometimes what’s required is a technological solution, sometimes it’s much broader and we need to draw a range of services from around the group.”
It’s not only about regenerating that old infrastructure, but future-proofing it too, providing better transport connections, secure supplies of energy, water and food – and, crucially, a good quality of life. “Cities fight for resources not only within their own countries but with each other,” Toyne points out. “They’re in a global competition for status and investment. Intellectual capital has become a key differentiator, and to be successful in attracting and retaining talent they will need to offer good social infrastructure, efficient transport networks and a safe environment.”
Established world cities such as New York, London, Paris and Tokyo have always competed for talent and investment, but now they are facing strong competition from emerging centres like Dubai, Shanghai and Mumbai. Working in these cities means getting to grips with a very different set of issues. By far the greatest proportion of urban growth will take place in fast-growing Asian countries such as India, China and Indonesia – some of it in cities that are not even built yet. “In these countries, mass migration from rural to urban areas is putting significant pressures on their existing infrastructure,” says Toyne. “That gives us the opportunity to plan and build new cities to accommodate all of these new urban citizens, and to build in sustainability right from the start.”
For example, WSP is developing sustainable infrastructure for Masdar in Abu Dhabi, a completely new city on a site covering 6km², designed from first principles to be a low-carbon, low-waste community. At Jaypee City in India, it is providing infrastructure and energy strategies for three linked urban areas that are intended to provide homes and jobs for more than 2 million people within 30 years. At 2,000ha, this dwarfs anything in the developed world.
No matter where they are, as cities grow in size, complexity and ambition, the work of urban planners is becoming much more difficult, says Dan Hoornweg, Lead Urban Specialist at the World Bank. “Cities need to be planned within a context of increasing uncertainty: climate, economy, politics, food and water security – things are changing quickly and planners need to design more resilient cities. Better city planners are figuring out how to plan cities with a larger team. They bring in civil engineers, communicators, politicians, community representatives and the private sector within a much more integrated team.”
STOCKHOLM ROYAL SEAPORT
This collaboration is what defines many WSP projects around the world. “We have partnerships with designers, contractors, cities themselves, technology providers, even futurologists,” says Toyne. “The key is identifying the right level of collaboration. Someone needs to play that strategic adviser role, to come in and help support the aspirations of the city’s leaders or its citizens. We can provide many of the specialist services that are required, but our role is not necessarily to do it all. Understanding who can do what is a complex jigsaw puzzle, so one of our most important skills is putting it together in the most cost-effective way.”
Further information: Paul Toyne, Group Head of Sustainability
paul.toyne@
wspgroup.com
14 SOLUTIONS
Image courtesy of City of Stockholm and Dynograph
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