The Decline of Industrial Cities

Today, two out of three people live in cities, and urbanization shows no signs of slowing down. Despite predictions that remote work and artificial intelligence would lead to emptying cities, the opposite has happened. Cities are expanding upward, becoming denser and more vertical. This trend makes them increasingly difficult to govern, with decision-making often gridlocked by conflicts of interest—even over the simplest issues. To ensure orderly growth and promote collective well-being, national governments—which have become less influential in the age of globalization—need to refocus their attention on their major cities.