This ten-year forecast map charts the important intersections between urbanization and digitalization that will shape this global urban experiment, and the key tensions that will arise.

The explosive growth of cities is an economic opportunity with the potential to lift billions out of poverty. Yet the speed of change and lack of pro-poor foresight has led to a swarm of urban problems—poor housing conditions, inadequate education and health care, and racial and ethnic inequalities. The coming decade holds an opportunity to harness information to improve government services, alleviate poverty and inequality, and empower the poor.

The Institute for the Future created this 2020 Forecast: A Planet of Civic Laboratories Map to highlight future innovations that will harness urban data to reduce poverty and promote inclusion. These forecasts will inform and inspire your thinking about how technological and social trends may converge to create new opportunities; they will also highlight the tensions that may arise.