Few cities in the world have ever had the opportunity to rethink the future like Christchurch (my home town that has been devastated by two large earthquakes). The opportunity goes much deeper than a vision which encompasses unique architecture, but extends into the very fabric of a city.Β When you consider the opportunity around infrastructure rebuilds, there is a chance to put the city at the forefront of many areas.
Consider water.
While it would be straightforward to simply replace the existing water mains, why not partner with the smartest minds to develop a large scale living lab for how people think about water?
Be combining IT infrastructure with water infrastructure, the Christchurch CBD could be the first city to monitor water use, test incentive schemes and attract international business solely on it’s water use technology. The city could position itself as a docking point for water technology in the 21st century.
This is not merely fanciful thinking – big business is already thinking along these lines.Β To put this in context, consider the an article from a recent edition of Fast Company:
One revealing sign that business has entered a new age of water is water’s sudden appearance in the financial reporting of companies as diverse as Intel and Coca-Cola. Intel’s website now lists the company’s total water use, broken down by each manufacturing plant around the world, including the names of the rivers and aquifers each factory taps. Coca-Cola seems to have just discovered water’s importance. In its 2002 annual filing with the SEC, under the heading “Raw Materials,” the word water does not appear. But in the 10-K filing submitted in February 2010, the “Raw Materials” section begins this way: “Water is a main ingredient in substantially all our products… . our Company recognizes water availability, quality, and sustainability … as one of the key challenges facing our business.”
Tell me why you wouldn’t do this.
via Why GE, Coca-Cola, and IBM Are Getting Into the Water Business | Fast Company.