ABSTRACT
Nowadays 55% of the world population lives in cities and, according to the World Bank, it is predicted that by 2054 this figure will rise to a staggering 70%, with the overall urban population expected to double. By then, 70% of us will live in urban areas. This scenario presents the challenges and stress that come with rapid urbanization – such as accelerated demand for affordable housing, well-connected transport systems, basic services, jobs, resource and waste management, tackling urban inequalities – but it also presents an opportunity for the transformation of the system within our current paradigm. But for that to happen, a change is required in the mainstream narratives around what cities are, what life in them means, and how they are expected to operate. This chapter explores the power of stories to catalyze systemic transformations.
