The changing cityscape

The Networked Society is making cities change in new ways


In the Networked Society City Index, we say:




Accommodation, administration, construction materials and technologies, religion, transport, industry/business, media and defense are all areas that determine the city plan. Examples from the past illustrate how the blueprints for cities have evolved. Before the invention of artillery, the city wall was there to protect the city. But the arrival of artillery meant the city wall was too weak to protect its inhabitants, so cities built bastions. When long-range artillery was introduced, and then airplanes, these made traditional defense systems for the city obsolete and the plans changed again. The introduction of the railway not only brought competition for the horse and carriage as a means of transportation but more importantly connected cities, regions and countries, spurring economic expansion. The list of historical examples is a long one. For more on the topic, I can recommend the book Form and Meaning: The Role of Creativity in Societal Patterns by János Kleineisel.

We are now standing on the brink of a Networked Society where broadband, mobility and the cloud are fundamental forms of infrastructure. The question is how this shift will change city plans and everyday living conditions as well as giving people in the countryside the same opportunities as people in the cities.

To address the needs of the city dweller and city challenges such as transportation and environmental issues, we need solutions for sustainable lifestyles: local job hubs, telecommuting, smart public and private transport systems, e-education and so forth. Such solutions will change the city plans and the type of buildings being built. Any space could potentially become a workplace or a classroom, so we will see new patterns emerging in how people move around within cities. Ultimately you might not have to live in the city where you have to work or study.

Written by Mikael Eriksson Björling


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