By Jami Gibson

I recently watched another inspiring TED talk given by Eduardo Paes, the mayor of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. His presentation is based upon his goal to ensure the city’s future for generations to come. Paes presents four “commandments” that will help cities transition into the future.

Cities of the future have to be:

1) Environmentally Friendly – find ways to be green; locate open spaces and make them usable by the community (e.g. Rio is creating a park in the middle of the city which will provide an oasis for citizens to meet and enjoy nature.)

2) Mobile and Integrated – this is especially important in large cities; upgrade the city’s infrastructure and transportation systems; improved transportation doesn’t have to mean spending lots of money (e.g. Rio has plans to improve their busing system and create designated lanes for mass transit.)

3) Socially Integrated – work to bring basic quality services, such as education and healthcare, into the poorer areas of town (e.g. Rio has erected healthcare facilities and schools in place of abandoned buildings.)

4) Technology-Driven – use technology to manage and govern cities; use technology to stay connected (e.g. Rio partnered with IBM to create the Operations Center of Rio, a facility that keeps tabs on everything from weather to traffic.)

I encourage you to watch Paes’ presentation below as he shows several concrete examples of putting these commandments to use. As he says, you do not need to be powerful or wealthy to implement improvements that will ensure a lasting legacy for your citizens.