50% of people on earth are living in cities.
One of the most eye catching features of the exhibition were the density models, which represent the population and shape of four cities. These were Greater London (foreground), Cairo (right), Mexico City (left) and Mumbai. Showing the data three dimensionally was effective, as it helped the audience to interact with the installation and compare the cities easily.
Many 'mega-cities' - cities of over ten million - spill over the municipal boundaries, like Mexico City and Sao Paulo. Others, like Cairo and Mumbai concentrate their multi-million populations in relatively small land areas where people live at high densities. The populations of Johannesburg and Los Angeles are far more dispersed. Thus adversely affects consumption and pollution. More compact cities arguably provide the most sustainable models for urban growth.
Video was also shown which added to the variety of media used in the exhibition. This shot from the video was interesting, showing the diversity of populations in cities.
The roof of the bus shelter has been adapted to host a drought resistant garden, to show how the city's green spaces might look in the future, given the onslaught of climate change.
Sustainable design will play an essential part in dealing with future problems, such as the rise in population of our planet.
