THE POWER OF PEOPLE, PLACES & FIRMS
Reading Time: 4 minutesRegions and cities are being reshaped by falling birth rates, ageing populations and the continued movement of young people to large metropolitan hubs. Japan knows this story well: for more than two decades, over 100,000 people a year have moved to the Tokyo metropolitan area from elsewhere in Japan. The question is no longer how to strengthen Tokyo, but how to strengthen everywhere else?
Reading Time: 3 minutesFor years, cities have invested in smart sensors, dashboards and digital services. But as shocks cascade across water, energy, transport and social systems, smart cities aren’t enough. What will it take to turn smart infrastructure into real resilience?
Reading Time: 4 minutesOn June 11, Mark Carney opened the 2026 men’s FIFA World Cup with a message of pride and ambition. Two weeks later, that ambition became history: how can countries turn global attention into lasting local benefits?
Reading Time: 4 minutesOn Saturday, 31 January 2026, a single cloud changed Maipú in less than an hour – 17 millimetres of rainfall in forty-five minutes, flooding streets and destroying homes. Images spread across social media. Many claimed they were fake. They were not. The storm devastated more than a thousand families. So how did Maipú use real-time data to reach those in need?
Reading Time: 4 minutesEl sábado 31 de enero de 2026, una sola nube transformó Maipú en menos de una hora – 17 milímetros de lluvia en cuarenta y cinco minutos, inundando calles y destruyendo viviendas. Las imágenes se difundieron por las redes sociales. Muchos afirmaron que eran falsas. No lo eran. La tormenta devastó a más de mil familias. ¿Cómo usó Maipú los datos en tiempo real para llegar a quienes lo necesitaban?
Reading Time: 3 minutesWomen’s movements are often more fragmented due to unpaid caregiving, a pattern known as “trip chaining”, yet cities remain organised around linear home-to-work commutes. If care shapes the everyday reality of so many people, why are our cities still not designed around them?
Reading Time: 3 minutesSmart city has become shorthand for digital ambition, but it still tends to conjure images of large cities, costly infrastructure and tech-led programmes that feel remote from everyday life. Sunderland’s experience points to a different approach. But what makes it different?
Reading Time: 4 minutesJapan welcomed more than 40 million international visitors in 2025, setting a new record. While Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka dominate, other cities are working to raise their profile. How is Sendai seeking to grow internationally while ensuring tourism strengthens resilience and benefits local people?