DISCUSS: Most Futuristic City

[wjfox]

Discuss this week's topic here.

You may post pictures, but please try to limit this to 20-25 pics per page, maximum.

[Sinjin P.]

Manila

[Siopao]

Tokyo no doubt ... they have electronic toilets there

[Forza Raalte]

Why do people nominate Seattle. Yeah, the Space Needle is futuristic but the rest.

[Manila-X]

Hong Kong! Skyscrapers, transportation, neon, effects, everything!

[wjfox]

I'm practically certain Tokyo will win this contest.

However, it will be interesting to see which cities come 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th.

[Phobos]

Shanghai is a good choice,and I guess one day It will be the most futuristic city,but for the present moment I'll go with Tokyo.

[npinguy]

tokyo
hong kong
shanghai
vancouver

[Manila-X]

Tokyo has big chance of winning but Hong Kong as well!

[ryanr]

Originally Posted by michaelsinjin

Manila

you kidding? Tokyo, Hong Kong and NYC.

[Manila-X]

I don't find NYC as modern as Hong Kong or Tokyo!

[ignoramus]

Tokyo obviously...the nightlife...the extensive and efficient subway/monorail/maglev/tram network, the tall SKYSCRAPERS built to withstand almost ANYTHING...the amazing bridges and tunnels...the high rate of broadband internet and 3g phone use...ANYTHING YOU CAN THINK OF...

[Sinjin P.]

Tokyo, HongKong, NYC

[TO_Joe]

I nominate Hong Kong, Shanghai and Tokyo (no particular order) -- density and vibrancy, neon lights and gadgets, bold architecture, lots of high rises, subway transport, becoming more cosmopolitan (Hong Kong always was due to its history, Shanghai historically before the revolution, Tokyo unfortunately is disappointing in proportion to its status but it has cosmpolitan aspects) -- very high-tech, very dynamic, ambitious and forward-thinking.

Dubai is trying and has got some interesting stuff but it will take awhile (partly because it is so artificial a settlement -- just look at the pics from the 60s -- made stunning progress since then, but it was a small village with few people) -- in the same league as Las Vegas.

New York, Chicago, and particularly European cities like London and Paris represents much more the glories of the 20th century, not the vibrancy of the 21st.

[Metropolitan]

Well, I think the best would make of it a bit worldwide... even if it's obvious Asian cities would take it.

Here's the nominated I would get :
- Dubai
- Shanghai
- Hong Kong
- Tokyo
- Berlin
- Some NA city, maybe Houston.
- Sao Paulo

Ok, my last ones aren't popular over here, but Berlin is with no doubt the most modern metropolis in Europe, Sao Paulo is certainly the most modern South American city, and Houston the same for North America.

Of course the bid would be probably won by Shanghai, Tokyo or HK. However it would suck if nominees are all from the same region in the world.

[Manila-X]

Tokyo doesn't have a tram network. Hong Kong does! But Tokyo on the other has a modern railway network.

Personally I think Hong Kong's neon lights are more attractive than Tokyo's! Hong Kong was the first to develop a smart card system.

I don't look at Shanghai as a futuristic city except the skyscrapers of Pudong and that around People's Square. But what about the city's transportation system? Singapore's transportation system looks more modern than Shanghai's. Shanghai though has a nice subway system modeled after Hong Kong and a maglev system that runs from the airport to the city.

Tokyo is futuristic but to me, it's not as futuristic as HK!

[Siopao]

Tokyo is more futuristic than HK... and I mean the way of life, transportation, and gadgets, animation, etc.... Tokyo is the hometown of many world-class technological comapnies like Sony, Yamaha, Honda, Nokia, etc.. it is the birthplace of the fastest railway system of the world!: The Bullet train.. more impressive than that of Hong Kong's tram network...

I dont really see Hong Kong as a futuristic city... I only see the sense of futuristic on their skyline... even so.. Hong Kong can be comparable to Shanghai but not entirely to Tokyo... Tokyo is number one

[hkskyline]

Actually, Hong Kong is the world's first city to have an integrated smart card for the entire public transport network. This smart card has since been adapted for some vending machines and even as a passcard for building entry. The card itself has also been transformed from a traditional wallet-sized item to a cell phone cover or even a watch.

Very few cities have smart cards being so pervasive in everyday life. Hong Kong is one such success story.

Other cities are only catching up now.

[Manila-X]

Nokia, Tokyo? Nokia is Finnish not Japanese! Docomo is Japanese!

Hong Kong is not only high-tech in terms of skyscrapers but also transportation and communications.

Though Japan is the birthplace of the bullet train, Hong Kong is a city that can afford to have a bullet train system. But a bullet train is not needed for Hong Kong is a small place.

[Andrew]

Coming from the UK (where in many cases investment in technologies like public transportation technologies is seriously lacking) to Singapore I expected everything to be extremely high tech compared to home. What I found out was that Singapore actually doesn't use technology that is any better then in London but what is noticeable is that because Singapore has developed so quickly that most of their infrastructure is new. For example take the MRT vs the London Underground. The whole MRT system has only been built within the last 25 years or so which gives the appearence that Singapore has this amazing, really advanced system which completely leaves London behind. In fact I would say that the newest London line - the Jubilee line, is just as advanced (apart from the driverless train thingey). However, the majority of the Tube is much older which makes the whole system look old. When you're building a new system from scratch like Singapore has been doing since the 80s of course you incorporate the newest technologies as you build it. It's not so easy when your working with a system which is for the most part over a century old.
Singapore has much wider use of smartcards than the UK in that here you can use them on public transport, some vending machines and in some shops.
One area of public transport that most UK cities is way ahead of Singapore is busses. A lot of the busses in Singapore (or at least most of the ones where I'm staying) are really old and the concept of disabed access on buses seems completely alien here. Compare this with the new low floor buses and raised pavements for disabled people which have been quite widely implemented in most UK cities and it seems Singapore is a long way behind. It seems to me that it is always going to be the case that some cities are incredibly advanced in some areas but lacking in others. That is why I don't think I can mention one single city. I haven't been to Tokyo so maybe it has it all, I don't know but most of the places I've been to have a mix of old and new.