Most Futuristic City (Based on your vision of "future") (mall, public transportation)
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Basic as it sounds, this is almost completely subjective. The cities that I included were absolute major world cities that I deemed "continental" in their sphere of influence, plus others that were from lists derived from this for various reasons. For me, when I think of future, I think of the Marty McFly-esque flying cars, robots, hard to imagine architecture (both make up and scale) and so my vote, if I do, would go to somewhere like Hong Kong or Tokyo. But lifestyle, etc. can also be considered here.
Dubai comes off as very futuristic because it’s a modern city. If you go back 30 years in the past, the only major high rise you would see is the Dubai WTC. It’s been expanding its public transportation network lately which is a good move.
Astana looks a lot like Dubai in many ways, but lacks the former citiy’s verticality.
Moscow has changed quite a bit in recent years with the addition of the IBC to the skyline.
Tokyo still holds the top spot for me as many things feel futuristic over there. Public transportation is top notch and the level of cleanliness is hard to beat. The city’s technological orientation helps as well.
New York City is starting to look more futuristic with its newer architecture. I recently went to this mall at the site of the World Trade Center and it looked kind of neat:
Is Tokyo's technological orientation immediately evident, and where is it most so? What is it about Roppongi/Ginza/Shinjuku/Shibuya that make them so distinctively modern?
I just came back from Japan, where I spent just over 10 days, and Tokyo is super advanced but not in a futuristic sort of way. It lacks the sleekness and shiny attributes of Doha and Dubai, for example, which both look more futuristic than Tokyo but are less advanced as cities than Tokyo. For instance, Tokyo can justify it's advanced state with things like Maglev, which neither Doha or Dubai have. Tokyo has numerous features, just like this, that exceed the advanced infrastructure in the two Arab world cities. However, when you look at the aesthetic component by itself, both Doha and Dubai look like cities of the future due to their architectural style and build, in that sense, much more futuristic but also less advanced than Tokyo.
Tokyo actually reminds me more of London's formula, which is an excellent blend of old with new, or as I personally choose to term it, where modern meets retro. It's a beautiful combination, something that doesn't exist in either Doha or Dubai.
These are pictures of Doha, very futuristic looking city, right?
Very futuristic looking city, I'd say. Indeed, but about average in terms of being advanced. Tokyo is an inverse of that, very very advanced city, I'd say the most advanced in the world, but not necessarily futuristic. Tokyo has a lot of modernism to it but plenty of old stuff too, to keep its aesthetics in balance. Much like what London is increasingly shaping up to be like as well.
All the following would be spectacular answers to the question: Abu Dhabi, Doha, Dubai, Kuwait City, Manama, and I'm sure there are more. The Persian Gulf nations definitely have the lead here, most futuristic cities I've personally ever seen (I've been to Abu Dhabi, Doha, and Dubai).
Last edited by Trafalgar Law; 01-04-2018 at 11:51 AM..
Very thorough post again, I'm enjoying this thread! Very good description. And, I don't necessarily consider most futuristic as equating to just modern looking although that definitely contributes. A city like London or Tokyo can have a significant historic area but be super advanced. Helsinki, though it is known for being a world capital for avant garde architecture/design, while also having a large historic area, might be more known for being futuristic/advanced in a lifestyle sense (clean energy, digital transparency/media freedom, public health, education, bicycling to work, metro system, etc.). Not saying Helsinki is world's most futuristic or advanced, just saying it doesn't all have to fit one size, just as FKR and others have said.
Edit: goodness... Doha really looks like the perfect setting if any movie director wanted to capture some idealized, utopian version of 2050 or so.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.