What Do People Want From Their Cities

Cities are complex ecosystems, home to diverse populations with varied needs and priorities. But a recent crowdsourcing initiative reveals some consistent themes about what most resonates with urban dwellers when envisioning their ideal city.

135 ideas were gathered across categories like Community, Transportation, Energy, Technology, and more. The proposals highlight citizens’ desire for greater connectivity, sustainability, and empowerment where they live.

The most common category was Community, representing 28.57% of ideas. This underscores peoples’ focus on relationships and social infrastructure. Recommendations ranged from neighborhood meet-and-greets to centralized job skills databases to providing city resources in multiple languages. Technologies like community kiosks and cellphone voting tools would further link residents. The category received the 2nd highest average scores (17), showing the appeal of strengthening community fabric.

Transportation followed close behind with 17 ideas, the 2nd most of any category. Streamlining mobility is paramount, whether through expanded public transit, high-speed commuter rails, rideshares, electric vehicles or autonomous cars. The ideas averaged an impressive 17.6 points, highlighting the importance of progressive transportation options.

While only hosting 16 ideas, Technology itself took 3rd place. nearly on par with transportation. Suggestions like city-wide wifi, parking sensors and solar-powered drones reveal citizens’ desire for tech-enabled conveniences and services. The scores averaged 15.7, confirming Technologys’ pivotal role in modern urban life.

Some revelations come from the outliers. Education and “Out There” ideas were rarely submitted, but well-received when presented thoughtfully. And Energy elicited conflicting opinions on approach, signaling a need to identify the most broadly agreeable strategies.

Reviewing the proposals makes peoples’ priorities clear. Community connection, smooth mobility and technological integration rise to the top. The data also contains nuances - variations across and within categories that inform how different solutions could be framed and adopted. But the overarching themes portray what citizens hope to gain from their surroundings. They envision responsive, connected, tech-savvy cities that sustain communal bonds. Civic leaders would do well to heed these community-sourced insights as they shape the future urban landscape.