Catalyst for Change: The Future of Cities

As Econsult Solutions celebrates the one-year anniversary of ESI Center for the Future of Cities, we are thrilled to present a collection of our smart city-focused thought leadership and research. This portfolio connects the firm’s urban economics, policy, and strategy expertise and sits at the forefront of addressing the most challenging issues city leaders face today. The ESI team has produced ground-breaking research that has helped lay the foundation for building out a more just, sustainable, and prosperous future in four key focus areas:

Livability – Investigating how cities can improve quality of life for all citizens, interconnecting and leveraging resources to ensure cities are safer, and cleaner.

Mobility – Exploring the rise of autonomous and electric vehicles, assessing the catalytic impacts of transit investment, in addition to exploring the delicate balance between optimal density and congestion.

Investment – Analyzing how technology can improve and foster inclusive economic growth, the importance of an environment that attracts and retains innovative talent, strategic public and private partnerships for sustained success of smart city programs.

Governance – Understanding how governments are leveraging new technology and practices to enhance quality of life and foster growth, enhancing cybersecurity systems and increasing citizen engagement.

As we move forward, ESI Center for the Future of Cities will continue to build on those ideas and sit squarely at the intersection of public and private needs. As the firm’s thought leadership arm, it brings together ESI’s expertise in urban economics to address the most prominent issues facing cities around the world. City leaders need a blueprint for building safer, more sustainable, and resilient 21st Century cities.