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Cities and Climate: The Future of the Future
Buchoud N.J.A., Ilnitski K. (Ilnicki C.) Cities and Climate: The Future of the Future // Baku Dialogues. Vol. 8. No. 1. Fall 2024. P. 102-113.
The article presents a historical analysis of the evolution of the urban agenda in the context of global climate challenges. The authors trace the trajectory of urban discussions from the first World Urban Forum in Nairobi (2002) to the present, with particular attention to the landmark Vancouver Forum (2006), which marked the recognition of the planet's transition from a predominantly rural to an urban world.
The study reveals parallels between the contemporary revival of futurology and the intense period of future studies in the 1960s-1970s, when urban issues were first conceptualized as an integral part of systems analysis and international scientific cooperation. The authors critically analyze the gap between the recognition of cities as key drivers of transformation and insufficient attention to urbanization in global climate and environmental policy.
Special attention is paid to the role of the Middle East, particularly the UAE and Saudi Arabia, in the revival of futurological research and its significance for rethinking the connections between cities, climate, and sustainable development. The article calls for synergistic, life-oriented, urban-centered models for the liberation of the future.