By 2050, 70 percent of the world’s population will live in urban areas. That means 2.8 billion people will be moving to cities that are already struggling to keep up in terms of housing, transportation, and infrastructure. That’s where Jerry Hultin, cofounder of the Global Futures Group, comes in. His consulting company, based in New York’s WeWork Gramercy, aims to use “21st century technology to make cities more livable for people around the world.” These cities of the future will implement “hundreds of small changes,” like driverless cars that will reduce traffic and the need for downtown parking lots, that will result in “an even better New York, a better Vancouver, a better Shanghai.”
There are a lot of things to do in the world, and I’m still feeling energized about finding ways to do them. People often think I’m younger than I am, and I don’t disabuse them of that.
Hultin served as Undersecretary of the Navy under President Bill Clinton, bringing “four-star officers to Silicon Valley” to brainstorm about the future of the military. After that, he became president of the Polytechnic Institute of New York University, encouraging “invention, innovation, and entrepreneurship” among students and faculty. Now, one of his main focuses is next year’s Smart Cities NYC ’17, a meeting of citizens, corporations, and government leaders. “It’s a platform for building a better future,” says the 74-year-old visionary. “It’s much better to build a world that people love to live in, where they’re happy with their job, and where they have a good life.”
Photos: Emanuel Hahn