Future Cities Survey 2021
Majority of young Europeans want to live in small cities
Global trends and challenges, such as urbanisation, digitalisation and climate change, will affect how we live in the future. But what do the young people of today want future cities to look like? According to a new survey, only 9 per cent of young people want to live in big cities with more than one million inhabitants.
To understand how the pandemic has affected young people’s views on their future and where to live, AFRY has conducted a survey among 6 000 young adults, aged 18-35, in seven European countries, during August to September 2021.
"The Covid-19 pandemic has had a huge impact on how we view our lives in the cities. It has been a time for reflection where people have reconsidered what type of life they are seeking, in combination with completely new patterns of travelling, working, shopping etc in the public space.
The big cities’ housing markets are challenging, and yet again we see that young Europeans want to live in smaller cities, where we know that proximity and access to schools, work, culture and green areas are highly valued."
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6 000 young Europeans responded to our Future Cities Survey
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Targeted age group was Europeans between 18-35 years old
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Surveyed countries were: Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark, Austria, Switzerland and Germany
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The survey was conducted during August – September 2021
The next generation is aware of the impact cities can have in creating a more sustainable future.
Developing attractive cities must cater to the needs and demands of many different groups.
Can a city afford not to scale up their sustainability work to ensure a safe and accessible life for every citizen – now and in the future?
Sustainability clearly matters to young people
Not only do young people see climate change as the biggest challenge for future cities. Almost half of the respondents (47 %) state that it’s important, or very important, that their local decision-makers have an ambitious sustainability agenda.