#year 2050

Climate change was becoming the main issue to the world. Global warming, sustainability and renewable energy were all topics scientists and professionals were trying to find the answer to. Damaging the planet became not only a better choice, but the only one left. There was no other alternative but to take care of our home, of our environment. Our waters were polluted and our forests were being cut down. This had to change, as the effects of our stubbornness were being shown to us more and more frequently. Changes in temperature causing an increase in ice glaciers melting. This, in turn, had its own effects: sea levels rose and flooding was more and more common. Coastal cities, in particular, were the most vulnerable. Places like Amsterdam, Miami, Venice, and Tokyo seemed like they might disappear by 2050. Fortunately, this did not happen. Mechanical solutions such as tide barriers, dams, and implementing canal networks were used. While natural solutions such as decreasing emissions of carbon dioxide and using renewable energy ensured that there would be less stress on the mechanical infrastructure that had been put in place. Sponge cities are now found all over the globe, places where the air is clean and the water is clear. Green spaces make up the main fabric of urban cities. People learned not to fear nature, but to embrace it and live alongside it. This caused a massive effect on mental health and wellbeing. The fresh air and open spaces made living in these cities enjoyable and healthy. In addition, these spaces provided a more inclusive environment that crossed racial and ethnic boundaries. Facilities are more accessible and are not solely catered to the rich. Informing inhabitants on how to live an eco-friendly lifestyle has also benefited the planet, as changes are occurring on every scale. Walking or riding a bike to work, or a community growing their own produce and not relying on imports from abroad. All of these changes have helped shape 2050 into a much more environmentally-friendly year than 2020 was. Architecture has adapted and encouraged the use of more ‘green’ materials, such as timber or innovative biological materials so that buildings that are being constructed are not only useful for the present but for the future as well, and for the environment. In the end, humanity was forced to work together to achieve this. And work must continue in order to keep our planet as healthy and functioning as possible.