Due to the crumbling of the superpowers after the tens, European regions found a new verve based on strongly persevered technological developments. The international corporations of the olden days keep benefiting from economies of scale, but like the international sector federations, they currently work based on full transparency - and without seeking any profit in the EU. All efforts are directed to permanent social and societal innovation, in addition to technological innovation. Although the consequences of climate change are felt, the city is completely ‘climate neutral.’ Ghent was a pioneer, which is why it is still ahead of most other Flemish cities, especially in the area of energy supply.
TECHNOLOGY: Technologies continue to evolve rapidly. They are transparent and open source. Technological systems are designed for trust rather than security. An autonomous, intelligent digital hub provides local material and social solidarity with respect for privacy. It also steers health, mobility, supply, and infrastructure of wireless electricity as well as urban swarm robotics*.
POPULATION: Ghent has a super-diverse population. A wide spectrum of minorities are the majority. There is a fluid definition of identities with attention to equality. People live on extremely small surfaces, often as families, but also in co-housing projects. Because of the complexity of social relationships and the limited separation between life and work, the mental health of some members of the population is jeopardized.
ECONOMY: In Flanders, profit is a concept of the past, to the regret of those who believe that their standard of living and the reward for individual efforts are deteriorating. This is a well-balanced, steady-state economy, which means there is no economic growth. Overproduction or overconsumption are avoided. Production is done locally and quality is centralized. Each company is a social company. In addition, there is a well-functioning sharing economy. Cyber systems keep the flow of goods and services in balance. Minimum and maximum incomes and price regulation are imposed by the government.
ECOLOGY: Ghent is on track to realize its climate ambitions. The air quality is good here. Extreme weather phenomena, however, are difficult to deal with by solely taking local measures. The intermittent water scarcity is illustrative of this. The transition to ecological sustainability is partly made possible by systems driven by Artificial Intelligence.
ENERGY: Ghent almost exclusively uses renewable energy. Good energy storage systems have enabled the decentralization of energy generation. Kinetic energy and body heat fuel personal devices. The transportation of goods and passengers has decreased significantly in volume.
CULTURE: Solidarity and social connectedness between generations and people of diverse ethnic origin are strong. A ‘good life’ and societal solidarity are central in life in Ghent. There is a strong ‘urban culture’ in Ghent, which means that there are diverse opportunities for different target audiences within a relatively small surface. Residence, work, and life are intertwined. There are no specialized residential or trade districts. These functions are intertwined. Urban agriculture also exists in every district. Bridges between people with very different cultural backgrounds are built by means of technological applications, but even with this support, the variations become too much for some.
POLICY: Local governments have great autonomy. Like other organizations, local governments join forces by working together in federations. It is their goal to embed the transformation that occurred in the past twenty years. Direct democracy supports engaged autonomous localization.
