Cities of the Future 3D

A tropical city-state in Southeast Asia, the heart of Singapore is a 30-mile-long island populated by five and a half million people. It could be scorching and claustrophobic, but it is the complete opposite—an enthralling cultural melting pot shaded by abundant trees and innovative garden structures that are cool in both senses of the word.

The Edge, located in Amsterdam, has been internationally acknowledged as the most sustainable and most likely the smartest office building in the world. British rating agency BREEAM gave The Edge the highest ­sustainability score ever awarded: 98.4 percent. The Edge is orientated and shaped in such a way that the power of the sun is optimally utilized, and the heating and cooling of The Edge is regulated in a sustainable way. Beyond its eco-friendly features, employees can control lighting, heating, and even find parking spaces through a mobile app, saving energy and time.

Cities of the Future 3D followed Los Angeles-based engineer Paul Lee, who is racing to help sprawling the city tackle its looming water, energy, and transportation challenges. He also mentors a group of elementary school students, who are on their own determined quest: to triumph at the Future City competition, for which they must dream up and build the ultimate 3D model of a 100% electrically powered city that fights climate change.

Often dubbed "city of bikes," Amsterdam boasts a higher quantity of bicycles than humans. Nearly everyone, from businesspeople to grandparents, rides one for everyday errands. Some 68% of all traffic to work and school in Amsterdam is by bicycle.

The spectacular Marina Bay Sands complex is a vast resort featuring three striking towers designed to capture and recycle waste heat from its air conditioning units. The resort has also reduced its carbon footprint by 50% with energy efficient lighting, solar power systems, and an Intelligent Building Management System that tracks 125,000 data points including lighting, heating, and water supply.

Located in Singapore, Gardens by the Bay is a stunning nature park built around a "supertree grove," a one-of-a-kind mechanical forest featuring 18 building-sized steel trees that house vertical living gardens, generate solar electrical power, send breezes through surrounding areas, and collect rainwater. The gardens boast a rainbow-colored array of 200 different species of plants and draws rare birds right into the heart of urban downtown.

Aside from the sheer fun factor, flying cars have the potential to completely revolutionize the transportation landscape. At scale, they might reduce travel time, enhance mobility, and boost productivity, all while reducing the environmental pressures brought on by gas-guzzling cars. Joby Aviation’s groundbreaking new vehicle, an eVTOL (electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing) aircraft, features a carbon-fiber body with tilted propellors powered by six electric motors and a network of lightweight, distributed batteries. This allows it to move vertically like a helicopter, cruise horizontally like an airplane, attain zero emissions, operate very quietly, and fly at up to 200 mph.