OREANDA-NEWS. December 03, 2014. Urbanisation will see a 2.5 billion increase in city populations by 2050, and of the 10-11 billion population expected by the end of the century, around 70% will live in urban spaces.

Factoring in the challenges that urbanisation represents for the world, it is more imperative than ever that we make sustainable choices to move towards creating cities that are not only pleasant but also the most environmentally friendly structures possible, offering efficient mobility in the city as well as inside buildings, with easy and cost-effective infrastructure.

Urban-Hub.com, a digital platform launched by ThyssenKrupp Elevator at the Smart City Expo World Congress in Barcelona, aims to promote discussions on how people shape cities, and how sustainable development can best be integrated in this era of rapid urbanisation. This novel interactive platform will curate ideas on sustainable development in all areas of urbanisation, ranging from mass transit and passenger mobility to building construction and infrastructure. It will also feature an amalgamation of news on landmarks and buildings currently under development that employ the principles of sustainability, as well as profiles of pioneers in the field.

Urban-Hub.com includes articles on timely events such as technologies incorporated in the new One World Trade Center in New York, the fostering of urban mobility through innovative technologies such as ThyssenKrupp’s ACCEL, and the use of The Internet of Things to create smarter, more efficient cities.

Luis Ramos, Head of Communications of ThyssenKrupp Elevator AG said, “ThyssenKrupp is powering Urban-Hub.com with the aim of promoting a fruitful and engaging discussion on urbanisation, with a focus on people developing stress-free, sustainable cities for the future. In the world’s inaugural metropolitan century, with cities prospering in the new global economic order, it is imperative that we make our cities the best places to live that humankind has ever created, and leave a lasting and positive impact on the generations to come”.

Available in the first phase in English, German, French, Spanish and Portuguese, and in its second phase in Chinese, the platform aims to reach the broadest possible audience to garner a wide spectrum of views from around the globe. It is also suited to all digital interfaces, and will be easily accessible on computers, tablets, and smartphones.