COVID-19 almost certainly won’t be the last pandemic we contend with in our lifetimes. At the same time, we’ll be dealing with both climate change and unmitigated loss of wildlife habitats through deforestation. How can we balance the continued growth of human populations against these threats" We have to find new ways to live in harmony with nature and each other if our species is going to survive.

Architecture firm O2 Design Atelier proposes looking up. Instead of sprawling development that voraciously consumes what little forestland we have left, we could be building vertical cities that preserve our natural environment. Their post-pandemic “City of Tomorrow” concept envisions a future in which long-desired technological advancements make it possible to take to the skies. In this city, streets and cars are mostly a thing of the past. Uber-tall mega-skyscrapers contain everything we need to live, including offices, shops, restaurants, schools, entertainment, and health care. Instead of having separate residences and vehicles, the concept imagines what are essentially flying capsule houses that can “plug in” to the modular buildings at will, providing freedom of movement. Various ways of interacting with others offer different levels of safety from potential contagions, and a medical hub at the bottom of each tower acts as a checkpoint and quarantine zone.
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