As city populations swell, rural communities will get left behind unless there are improvements in infrastructure, connectivity and resilience, writes Flemmich Webb
Globally, more of us now live in cities than in rural areas. If we want to live more sustainably, we will have to do so surrounded by concrete rather than fields and woodland.
Not so idyllic perhaps, but it makes sense — cities' high population density relative to their geographical footprint makes for more efficient use of land, product distribution, employment, travel, technology deployment — the list goes on.
It's not surprising, therefore, that resources have been poured into urban centres — they are generally the main income generators of industrialised economies, after all.
And if we want to have the most impact on improving the UK'ssustainability, cities are the obvious target due to the numbers of people who live and work in them. Smart cities with smart buildings interconnected with smart technology will inevitably lead to smart living, so the thinking goes.
But while all this may be true, spare a thought for rural communities, seemingly left behind in the headlong rush to embrace urban life.
