Skift + MasterCard Present: Future Cities, Preparing for the New Age of Urban Mobility

This sponsored content was created in collaboration with a Skift partner.

Taking insights from the MasterCard Global Destination Cities Index 2015, Skift and MasterCard are joining forces on Future Cities, a series exploring how major destinations are preparing for the new age of urban mobility. From connected infrastructure to smart technologies, together we explore how global cities are creating seamless and personalized experiences for visitors and residents.

For the first time ever, 50% of the world’s population are living in cities. By 2050, the number of city dwellers will rise by 2.5 billion to 6.3 billion, according to the UN, roughly two-thirds of the world’s population.

This proposes a unique challenge for cities around the globe. How do you create an attractive and sustainable environment as more people than ever move around within and between urban centers?

The answer is to create smarter cities. Cities that are integrating technology and streamlining how they communicate with their citizens in real-time. Cities that are promoting mass transit and building fast, driverless transportation systems that users can access with the tap of a card or phone. Cities that are curating unique experiences  with both residents and travelers in mind.

The Future Cities series seeks to uncover some of the most forward-thinking destinations, profiling the places that are building the cities of the future in 2015 and beyond.

Check out the Future Cities site here.