The Fight for the Future

This chapter explores ways to optimize a city’s history to help overcome challenges and prepare for the future. While it includes aspects such as studying mistakes, it also includes identifying elements throughout history that might improve the conditions for city living. Studying cities in this way also provides insights into the conditions for knowledge on cities, which include the kinds of approaches that can inform decisions benefiting urban residents. This chapter examines a range of issues, from how individual urban technologies and artifacts can favor urban residents to how ancient cities can inspire them to undertake monumental challenges that may arise.