RESTON, Va. – The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) today revealed Mega City 2070, a thought-provoking learning tool to help engineers, planners and allied professions think to the future and navigate the complexity of our changing world. The desktop platform explores the built environment of 2070 through an interactive 3D model that visualizes a potential scenario for a future mega city as it evolves from 2020 to 2070.
“The world in which we live is becoming more complex and changing at an accelerating pace,” said Dennis D. Truax, Ph.D., P.E., F.ASCE, ASCE president. “Understanding the drivers of change is more critical than ever. Our future will require a new way of doing things. Mega City 2070 helps connect the dots and ensures all systems are integrated in the future.”
Growing populations and advancing technologies will push engineers to reimagine the future. Mega City 2070 models a city that can accommodate a population of 50 million people while preserving its historic character, promoting sustainability, and supporting various lifestyles and economies. The platform takes a deep dive into the issues facing a mega city in 2070 and looks at the steps that need to be taken to adapt along the way in areas such as: construction and materials; energy and utilities; architecture; transportation; and water, waste and the environment.
ASCE unveiled Future World Vision: Infrastructure Reimagined in May 2019, and Mega City 2070 is the latest initiative of that project. Future World Vision addresses six important sociopolitical, economic, environmental and technological macrotrends as key drivers of change for civil engineers and the built environment including alternative energy, autonomous vehicles, climate change, smart cities, high tech-construction/smart materials, and policy and funding.
“Grounded in deep research, Future World Vision puts civil engineers in a position to lead not just today, but five decades into the future,” said Gerald (Jerry) Buckwalter, M.ASCE, chief innovation officer, ASCE. “The initiative resulted from a multi-year collaboration between ASCE, global future analysts, subject matter experts, visionary experience designers and leading application developers.”
ASCE will launch Mega City 2070 during National Engineers Week, February 20–26. Since its inception in 1951, National Engineers Week is a time dedicated to ensuring a diverse and well-educated future engineering workforce by increasing understanding of and interest in engineering and technology careers.
To learn more about Future World Vision and download Mega City 2070 please visit: www.futureworldvision.org.
About the American Society of Civil Engineers
Founded in 1852, the American Society of Civil Engineers represents more than 150,000 civil engineers worldwide and is America's oldest national engineering society. ASCE works to raise awareness of the need to maintain and modernize the nation's infrastructure using sustainable and resilient practices, advocates for increasing and optimizing investment in infrastructure, and improve engineering knowledge and competency. For more information, visit www.asce.org or www.infrastructurereportcard.org and follow us on Twitter, @ASCETweets and @ASCEGovRel.