Cities of the future

Many of the challenges and opportunities that define the early part of the 21st century are most visible in the cities where an increasing proportion of the world’s population resides.

Responding to the pivotal role of cities in the global economy, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) established a City and Local Government Network in 2004. The Network’s objective is to convene city leaders, enabling them to exchange experiences, knowledge, and insights, and to shape their ideas and strategies for the future.

The City and Local Government Network envisions: “We need new perspectives of cities, their dreams, knowledge, creativity, and motivation to find new ways to develop strategic city management. Therefore, PwC will create a new platform for dialogue with city leaders as a tool for strategic development and knowledge sharing, resulting in added value for people in cities, organizations, or companies.”

In this inaugural report from the network, we aim to identify the primary challenges and trends influencing city leaders in their endeavors to create prosperous and socially cohesive environments for their citizens. Through our research, which involved interviews with over 40 senior figures from cities worldwide, several common themes emerged, shaping the agenda for city leaders irrespective of their specific circumstances.

This report delves into these themes and explores strategic responses necessary for effective leadership. We have deconstructed the constituent elements of the city into various asset groups, or capitals, forming the foundation for developing a strategic agenda to propel a city forward. These capitals encompass the people, knowledge, natural resources, technical infrastructure, finances, democratic and political aspects, and cultural values inherent in a city. Leveraging these capitals as a starting point, the report scrutinizes how cities worldwide are enhancing their comprehension of each capital and evaluating how they can leverage city intelligence to optimize the use of existing capitals while nurturing those in shorter supply.

Download:
https://www.pwc.com/gx/en/government-public-sector-research/pdf/cities-final.pdf