No time for storytelling? Scroll down for some fascinating ideas about the future of cities!
Everything is different now yet undeniably the same. She actually doesn’t think about it that often because it’s incredible how fast you get used to new realities. However, sometimes the memories creep in. Memories of a different world.
Photo: Aaron Burden
It wasn’t that things were necessarily bad back then but she often marvels over how resistant everyone was to change, especially when this was waiting around the corner. If only we had known, would things have happened faster? And with less pain? Maybe not as many people would’ve had to suffer in the transition? Maybe not as many species would’ve had to go extinct?
Thinking about how lost and divided the world was before the revolution pains her sometimes but then those thoughts get replaced with immense gratitude. Gratitude that they made it!
The coolest thing is that although she’s obviously much older, she somehow feels younger and more energized than in her youth. Or is she just making that up because she expected to feel like a tired old rag by now? No, most definitely, things are different. There are new energies in the air and it’s making you younger, a different kind of young than what she experienced growing up. Today there simply seems to be more… space! Yes, that’s it - there’s more space! It’s quite hard to explain, but it’s an amazing feeling. It’s the feeling of being able to fully breathe again.
She places her hand over the docket on the wall to lock the door and shut down the house behind her. A message on the screen lets her know it’s entered power-saving mode. The brisk morning air feels heavenly in her lungs and she takes a few deep breaths, eyes closed towards the sun, before starting her walk to the ThruLine. She knows her friend is waiting but there’s no rush. In this weather, she’ll happily wait a few more minutes. Besides, the train comes so often these days there’s no risk of missing it, so why rush?
As she walks to the station that’s just around the corner, she allows herself to go a bit further down memory lane. Remembering the old days feels important so that we can continue to choose consciously moving forward. We must remember what we came from so that we can find pride in creating this, and to make sure we pass on this legacy of consciousness to future generations.
It’s a new era and things have changed. Not just infrastructure and businesses, but something deeper as well. The collective consciousness feels different these days and you can see it in people's eyes if you pay attention. There’s a spark there that definitely didn’t exist before, but that’s hard to describe if someone were to ask.
She laughs as she realizes why it was probably so hard to understand back then. Because even if someone would’ve known, how do you purvey that message to the masses?
“Everything will be different because there will be this spark, you see, in people's eyes! And when you see that spark, you’ll know we’ve made it!”
Ha! People would’ve thought you were a lunie! But if you talk about it today, people understand. Not everyone, of course, and in the history books, you’ll read about the Renewable Era and the bold collective moves from governments around the world that decided to come together to make this right.
You’ll read about the monumental courage of the people who had to let go of jobs, structure, and safety in order to build towards something new. You’ll read about the stories of heroes from all walks of life who, instead of seeking fame and entitlement in the old world, chose to mobilize and lead people into something new. Example after example of courageous people who were the backbone of the revolution but who never reached the eyes of any news.
The thoughts bring forth a smile. It’s been a hell of a ride, hasn’t it? And there’s so much courage to be proud of, so much hardship and curiosity to be celebrated and remembered!
Photo from The Wonderlist
Her thoughts get interrupted by the train who seemed to have appeared out of thin air. That is something she’s having a hard time getting used to - trains and vehicles seemingly appearing out of thin air! At least back then they made a ton of noise and you were given a heads up! Well, wouldn’t trade that heads-up for any pollution in the world, now would we?
The doors shut silently behind her and she sits down at one of the empty seats. A young man across the aisle is reading a book and the title catches her attention. We will forever be grateful for those who had the courage to question everything.
Maybe it’s something they make them read in school these days? She makes a mental note of the title and decides to try and find it later. It’s important to know what they teach the kids to make sure we don’t start going backward, only forward. We’re a young world with lots to learn but the opportunities are endless - that she is absolutely sure of! As long as we remember the truth behind the revolution. As long as we know it all came down to the courage in people’s hearts and the unified strength of community across borders, then we can keep moving forward. Forward into even better, fairer, and greener worlds!
As the doors open at the downtown stop, the sound of life instantly fills the car.
Porcelain clinking, people talking and laughing, a street musician further down the mall. And mixed in with all of it - bird song! She loves a lot of things about this new world but what she loves most of all is the city. The city that came back to life in ways no one thought a city could live!
She spots her friend by the gates down the platform, eyes closed in the sun as hers had been only minutes ago. She walks over to her with so much love in her heart - time for the weekly gossip and catch up!
Keep Some Room in Your Heart for the Unimaginable
- Mary Oliver
How often do you allow yourself to go there? How often do you let yourself dream of a completely new world? A world so different from anything we know today, yet much more familiar than we might expect. Maybe this new world on the other side of this tremendous challenge is going to feel like coming home, with a deeper sense of connection to both ourselves, others, and the world around us?
I wrote this story from my own imagination. Obviously, I have no idea of what the future will look like but I find it incredibly important to take time to dream. Because if we don’t even allow ourselves to think that things can get better - much better, even - how will we find the willpower and excitement to work for it?
I know it’s hard to think outside the walls of the reality we live in today but an exercise I do with myself is the “Unimaginable” exercise. You ask yourself:
“What world could I find myself in if I kept some room in my heart for the unimaginable?”
You can meditate on it, journal on it, or even better - do it with a friend! Allow yourself to believe that unbelievable things can happen. The “how” is not important, the “what” is. Visit a different kind of future and give yourself permission to believe it can come true, and then tickle your heart even further and say, “And who knows, it can be even better than this, because how can I imagine the unimaginable? How would I know what that world even looks like?”
If you need help on the way, here’s a guided meditation I created to help you bring that future a little bit closer. Envision, believe, activate!
A Few Facts About Cities
In 1800, fewer than one in ten people lived in a city. Today, 55 percent of the world’s population lives in cities. By 2050, probably more than two-thirds of humanity will live in cities. (The Urban Challenge - Reviving the Desire to Live in Cities by Pierre-André de Chalendar)
If you look at the individual footprint, people in cities tend to have a lower overall footprint than those living in urban areas (who drive most places, have bigger houses, etc). However, the challenge with growing cities is to redesign them to sustain more and more people while leaving a (hopefully) carbon-neutral footprint on the planet.
Many countries are now aspiring to create “sustainable cities”, “smart cities”, or “peaceful cities”. A lot of those goals have to do with re-introducing nature into cities and rebalancing the micro-climates and natural ecosystems. Here’s a cool article on How Food Will Reshape Our Cities.
I just started reading The Urban Challenge - Reviving the Desire to Live in Cities by Pierre-André de Chalendar and I will make a future issue more in-depth about green cities from what I’m learning in this book!
Other Resources
Here are some people that are doing incredibly exciting work in this space that you should definitely check out!
Katie Patrick, Environmental Engineer + Designer
Does imagining better futures "work" to drive real change? I think this research could change your life. Don't miss my latest podcast "How Environmental Imagination Exercises Lead to Behavioral and Political Action" with Prof Josh Wright. This stuff goes deep.🤯🧠🌱
Jan Kamensky, Designer - Visual Utopias
His visual utopias from the future really make you understand what a different kind of world could look like! I highly recommend checking out more of his videos!
This Week on Hey Change Podcast
One last thing - we have an incredible new episode out on Hey Change Podcast with the inspiring youth leader and organizer Zanagee Artis from Zero Hour. We spoke to Zanagee about the intersectionality of climate justice and the many ways we can be involved in the climate movement. We also got to hear about an incredible trip coming up for Zanagee: in March of 2022, Zanagee will travel to Antarctica with the 2041 Project as an ambassador of the Global Choices Arctic Angels Network, to raise awareness about the importance of protecting polar ice.