For centuries, people have moved to and lived in cities. These sprawling urban centres are places to find work, friends and fun. It's no surprise that they continue to grow as more and more people flood in hoping to make the most of the opportunities they offer but adding to the congestion and pollution that already exists.
几个世纪以来，人们搬到城市里生活，这些杂乱无序的城市中心是找工作，交友和寻找乐趣的地方，越来越多的人涌进城市希望能充分利用他们能得到的大部分机会，但增加了已经存在的拥挤和污染，这并不奇怪。
According to a report by the United Nations, 54 per cent of the world's population lives in urban areas and it predicts that by 2050, this figure will have increased to around 70 per cent. But as more and more people migrate from the countryside to the city to get better opportunities, they can end up with nowhere to live.
根据联合国的一份报告，54%的世界人口生活在城市里，它预测到2050年，这个数字将会增加到70%左右。但是随着越来越多的人从农村移居到城市以求得到更好的机会，他们最终会无处可住。
This is true in places such as Rio de Janeiro, where migrants can't rent or buy a home, and they end up building their own communities and houses on unoccupied land. These are called shanty towns- poor communities where the houses are built out of cheap materials like corrugated iron and plastic sheeting – and often don't have any electricity or water supply.
在里约热内卢这样的地方，这就是真的，那里的移民不能租房或者买房，他们最终在空地上建造他们自己的社区和房屋。这些被称为棚户区的贫困社区的房子用廉价的材料，像瓦楞铁和塑料布建造的–经常没有任何电力或没有水供应。
These are, of course, not the megacities of the future we want to see. Some serious urban planning is needed to make our cities of the future good, safe and modern places to live in. This involves improving the infrastructure, the housing conditions and also the opportunities for education and employment.
当然，这些并不是我们想要看到的大城市未来。一些严格的城市规划必须使我们城市的未来更好美好，安全，居住更加现代化。这包括基础设施的改进，住房条件以及受教育和就业机会。
Something urban planners are looking at now is the creation of 'smart cities'. According to John Rossant, founder and chairman of the non-profit organisation New Cities Foundation, technology is the way forward. He thinks that it's generally accepted that "cloud computing,ubiquitous internet, robust 5G networks etc, will transform our cities." He says technology is really"a game changer",in urbanisation. It would collect large amounts of data about how a city is performing and may improve how a city functions.
一些城市规划者现在正在寻找“智能城市”的创建，根据新城市创建非盈利机构的创始人和主席约翰说，技术是前进的方向。他认为“云计算，无处不在的网络，强大的5G网络等普遍被接受并改变我们的城市”，他还说在城市化道路上技术是唯一的游戏规则制定者，它将收集大量的关于城市是如何变革的数据，并改善城市功能。
This may sound like a utopian view. For now, some cities and conurbations around the world are trying out more low-tech schemes to try and make them desirable places to live and work in. Building shared-ownership housing and improving public transport are some ways. And encouraging cycling and building bike lanes can keep the population healthy and cut down on smog. What would make your city a better place to live in?
这听起来象乌托邦观点，现在世界范围内一些城市和大城市试图寻找更多的低技术方案，让他们有满意的地方去生活和工作。建设共有产权房屋和改善公共交通就是很好的方法。鼓励骑行和建设自行车道可以让大家身心健康减少雾霾。你们城市会采取哪些方法去成为一个更好的宜居城市呢？