Using Global Trends as Catalysts for City Transition

Urbanization process is triggered by population growth and technological advancement. Cities are accumulating global dynamics, gathering flows of people, energies and consequent risks. As a result, our habitat is facing a rapid transition [1]. City can use opportunities of momentum, planning and acting in response to the events or it can miss the chance, losing in the global competition.

There is a considerable interest in finding, what influences city's prosperity. Global trends and the socio-demographic evolution are recognized as main overall powers. This study examines how these forces stimulate cities and how to employ them in a development process, in order to achieve a successful city transition.

Searching for essential elements directing towards inclusive and successful city transition, the urbanization is studied. Global processes influence cities significantly with individual, different outcomes, what is examined in case study part. Case study provides cross sector analyses of three European cities, basing on national statistics, international and local databases.

The study indicates that global forces and local conditions are of similar significance for city development. Case study illustrates divergence of outcomes generated by global forces. Therefore, a difficulty in building common approach, as there is no generic challenge-response. However, by identifying and mapping trends and patterns, inclusive and context-dependent strategy can be created appropriately, contributing to overall sustainability.

While creating development strategies and future visions is a common practice, it lacks tools to identify the context-dependent factors. Specific conditions and patterns of city development are built in longtime perspective and the social short termism often counteracts improvement. To work with the overall forces city needs to recognize its unique situation.

The current stage of urban development differs from city to city, what allows to make transferable learnings and stop repeating the same steps on the development path, regardless of their evaluation.