Isra-Mart srl:Greener transport key to avoiding Blade Runner dystopia

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Radical transport and IT innovations, such as stackable electric cars and 3D video-conferencing, will be requited to save cities from becoming a dystopian nightmare, according to a new study by think tank Forum for the Future.

The report argues that our urban transport networks will have to be completely rethought if we are to cope with the prospect of two thirds of the world's population, around 5.6bn people, living in cities by 2040.

The report predicts the resulting megacities will become "dysfunctional environments", plagued with energy, food and water shortages and dangerously vulnerable to climate change.

Based on interviews with over 40 sustainably mobility experts, 'Megacities on the move' proposes a number of technologies and innovations that will allow businesses and governments to start planning now and avoid the creation of failing cities.

In particular, the report highlights how integrated transport networks will be required to limit congestion and pollution. It also advocates a move away from the concept of car-ownership as a means of cutting emissions and creating new social norms that encourage more sustainable, low-carbon lifestyles.

Perhaps the most eye-catching proposal is the prospect of rentable electric cars, piled three to a space at stations that would operated in a similar fashion to Boris Bikes in London.

An internet system where people could rent out their cars offers another alternative to car ownership, albeit one that it already being pioneered by London firm WhipCar.

The report also recommends the widespread adoption of improved video-conferencing technologies incorporating 3D technology, schemes that allow drivers of electric cars to swap used batteries for recharged ones at a network of switching stations, and urban planning that encourages people to walk or cycle.

Peter Madden, the Forum's chief executive, argued that change needs to start now, before cities are too large to manage effectively.

"We are seeing the largest migration to cities in history. How those cities develop today will lock in behaviour for decades to come," he said. "The future wellbeing of billions of people depends on the action we take now. The global race for sustainability will be won or lost in the streets of our megacities."