Future cities founded on principles of sustainability will be able to offer a pleasant, healthy, and high-quality living environment, even amid challenges of overcrowding. These cities will be centered around high-quality, accessible and readily available public transportation, integrated into the very heart of the urban landscape. Dedicated routes for pedestrians and cyclists will be established alongside public transportation. One can envision cities in which car usage within the city center is entirely prohibited. This approach will foster the expansion and cultivation of green areas that harmoniously blend within and between buildings.

Rather than nondescript residential towers, these future cities will feature "green" buildings adorned with trees and edible plants. This innovation will yield diverse advantages, including the absorption of carbon dioxide and air pollutants, the preservation of biodiversity, mitigation of the urban heat island effect and enhancement of individual quality of life. These buildings will act as energy producers, reducing reliance on polluting power plants located outside the cities or at their outskirts. Instead of towering structures, interconnected buildings will form a densely woven urban network interspersed with green communal spaces, fostering thriving local species and nurturing a distinctive urban nature.

In these progressive cities, waste management will be based on smart infrastructure for waste separation, recycling, and localized energy generation in close proximity to residents' homes. All electricity infrastructure will be seamlessly integrated into this system with smart local energy networks feeding into larger electricity grids. The ability to shape a desirable urban future rests in our hands. To this end, the Environment and Sustainability Research Center is committed to providing the knowledge and tools needed to transition from the present reality of Israeli cities to a more sustainable and verdant future.