The City of the Future

How do we make cities better? From gleaming towers to sprawling slums, from excessive wealth to unimaginable poverty, from green oases to lawless danger zones, cities bring together multiple, interconnected challenges.

Mobility, health, water, energy, housing, employment, food, recreation, culture, democracy, climate: everything is interdependent. None of these things can be individually perfected within the complex urban environment, but all can be improved. The 2021 Nobel Week Dialogue beginning on 9 December 2021, will explore the nature of the city, and possible visions of a hoped-for future.

This year’s Nobel Week Dialogue will be a hybrid event with a global digital audience online, as well as a limited audience present in-person in Gothenburg. There will be a mix of speakers participating digitally and physically on stage.

Dr Kevin Casas-Zamora,  Secretary-General of International IDEA, will address two panels at the approximate times below: 
1. Panel: Democracy and the City, 14:08 (CET)
2. Panel: Working with Government, 14:28h (CET)

The speakers include the following Nobel Prize laureates: Paul Romer, Economic Sciences 2008; Brian Schmidt, Physics 2011 and Serge Haroche, Physics 2012.

PROGRAMME

13:00 - 15:00 Sessions

The State Of Things Now
Gautam Bhan, Nicolas Buchoud, Ann Legeby, Karen Seto, and Jan Vapaavuori 

What Can We Learn From Ancient Cities?
Monica Smith

The Image Of The City
Anna Blennow

13:40 Sessions

An Sdg Perspective On African Urbanisation
Edgar Pieterse

The Rise Of The African City
Edgar Pieterse, Susan Parnell

Citizen Participation: Shaping The City Of The Future
Sanna Ghotbi

Community Assemblies: Empowering The City Of The Future
Daniel Urquijo

Democracy And The City
Sanna Ghotbi, Lisa Mastiaux, Paul Romer, and Kevin Casas-Zamora

14:20 Sessions

When Scientists Talk To Policy Makers
Interview with Chemistry laureate Frances Arnold

Working With Government
Jan Vapaavuori,  Nicolas Buchoud, Kevin Casas-Zamora, Susan Parnell

Performance Piece
Modise Sekgothe

15:30 - 17:00 Sessions

The Impact Of Climate Change
Interview with Physics laureate Brian Schmidt

Towards Sustainable Urbanisation
Nicolas Buchoud, Serge Haroche, Karen Seto, and Monica Smith

The Role Of Public Spaces
Anna Blennow, Ann Legeby, and Limin Hee

Urban Inequality
Michael Marmot

Cities And Health
Interview with Medicine laureate Jules Hoffman

Tackling Inequalities
Ann Legeby, Michael Marmot, Edward Glaeser, and Gautam Bhan

16:30 Sessions
 

Performance Piece
Linn Björnsdotter

On Creativity
Interview with Physics laureate Serge Haroche

The Senseable City
Carlo Ratti

Smart Cities
Jan Vapaavuori, Monica Smith, Serge Haroche, Carlo Ratti, Edward Glaeser, and Paul Romer

Follow the event promotion on social media: #NobelPrizeDialogue