Why progrss.com?

Humanity’s future will largely be determined by the cities we create today. It took almost all of human history to grow the global population to 1 billion, a milestone reached in the 1850s. Exponential growth since then saw the world population reach 7 billion in the 2000s and, by 2050, it’s estimated the globe will be home to 10 billion people, creating a huge and unprecedented pressure on this planet in a span of just 200 years. With the rapid population growth and the remarkably higher quality of life offered in cities, another big trend is seeing exponential growth: urbanization. It’s expected that almost 3 out of every 4 humans in 2050 will be living in cities - that means the world will need to double its urban infrastructure in only 30 years. For example, some researchers predict that 70 % of urban India of 2030 is not yet built. The global ecosystem is facing large-scale threats: a record number of local conflicts and displacement, global warming, urban unrest, deforestation, terrorism, biological extinction and more. Adjusting the current situation and meeting the needs of the global population in terms of health, education, food and water, energy, housing, and access to art and culture (the soul of this planet) is our generation’s core mission. Fortunately, humanity has always been good in adapting and evolving. Progress.com

One of the core challenges of the coming years is that a lot of urban planning and transformative decisions need to be done in a very short time. An estimated $57 trillion need to be injected in urban development, as bold urban plans will keep being announced to accommodate this new wave of hyperurbanization. However, these plans in most of the emerging markets lack the necessary mechanisms for inclusive decision-making and sustainable planning on both a cultural and a policy level. Not only will this hinder the quality of life of city residents, but it can also lead to escalation of problems, inefficiency of utilizations of resources, or even civil unrest. Progress.com

That’s where progress comes in, on a mission to connect the people and ideas shaping our urban future to activate and inform all city stakeholders. Publishing on progrss.com daily, the media-savvy team share stories of urban innovation, transformation and potential, working towards the organization’s global vision: A world where cities have unlocked their unique potential as vibrant, enriching and progressive spaces. Progress.com