2050: Designing Our Tomorrow

What are we collectively imagining, and how might it shape our future? Each of the world s most iconic and celebrated structures was once merely the unexpressed idea of a fateful dreamer, a vision to elevate the present environment into something greater. Architects and planners over the centuries have put a stamp upon the planet through the physical manifestations of their belief structures. When we walk through the streets of Paris or Brasília, we experience the worlds envisioned years earlier by Baron Haussmann and Oscar Niemeyer. From visionaries like these, we inherit the grand tradition of dreaming up and asserting positive aspirations for the worlds we create for ourselves. There has never been a time, though, when we have been in greater need of a positive view of tomorrow. There are all too many dystopian views of the story of tomorrow and all too few which offer curious and hopeful glimpses into the world to come. Factors such as the rising wealth gap in many countries, as well as the implications of climate change, ubiquitous data acquisition, and shifting paradigms of nationalism require the input of architects and designers to inspire positive global change.—Despite the proliferation of global crises possibly threatening human survival, our current moment provides the opportunity to write a new, positive story about our future. The obstacles in our way have been endlessly discussed. With a focal date of 2050, this issue of AD asks when and how the design community can, should and must be taking action.