How We Interpret Place Defines Our Identity
Hi, I’m Greg Oates, founder of 2050 City. Thanks for checking out the site.
Cities face unprecedented challenges in the post-pandemic era. Downtowns struggle with reduced office occupancy, small businesses navigate uncertain economic landscapes, city councils are burdened with archaic zoning laws and diminishing tax bases, and communities search for connection in our DoorDash era of on-demand convenience.
2050 City addresses these challenges directly, bringing strategic frameworks that transform urban spaces into vibrant centers of community and economic activity. In the quiet corners of many struggling neighborhoods, between the shadows of industrial relics, pack-and-stack office towers, America-generica strip malls and exceedingly expensive housing, there lies a future waiting to unfold. 2050 City sits at the crossroads of what is and what could be, planting seedlings in the fertile soil of promise and possibility.
4 Guiding Principles
Cities are a Drama in Time
As Patrick Geddes observed a century ago, "A city is more than a place in space. It is a drama in time."
We approach urban development as an ongoing narrative that ebbs and flows, which requires both thoughtful planning and adaptive strategy. Our work creates the conditions where communities can flourish amid disruptive change by focusing on long-term future scenario modeling through to 2050.
How We Interpret Place Defines our Identity
We understand what Zita Cobb meant when she said, "How we interpret place defines our identity. Culture is nothing more than a human response to place."
Effective placemaking equals meaning making. It creates meaning. What you do with your neighborhood and your relationship with place defines who you are and what you value. These insights drive our approach to revitalizing urban spaces through authentic place-based community development that honors local identity, supports local influencers and champions local innovation.
Cities are Knowledge Sharing Machines
The House of Logistics & Mobility in Frankfurt states that the city of the future is an interdisciplinary knowledge sharing machine — a complex ecosystem where information, culture, commerce and human connection flow across traditional boundaries in new ways.
While this concept may sound abstract, it translates to concrete strategies powered by proven AI systems that help communities leverage their unique assets, foster their unique vibe, and share their way of knowing with the world.
People Find Community in Action
More than anything, we believe that people find community in action. Real transformation happens when people from all walks of life come together, roll up their sleeves, tackle big challenges and capitalize on ambitious opportunities to get stuff done.
Our core services provide the enabling environment to make that happen, because the tomorrows of our dreams eventually become the todays of our reality.
2050 Community Action Plan
Our flagship service provides a strategic planning framework to support the growth of local cultural and creative industries as catalysts for neighborhood and economic development:
Cultural and Creative Industry Mapping: Identifying and strengthening the networks that connect creative communities to economic opportunity
Place-Based Development Strategies: Creating frameworks that leverage local identity as a resilient economic driver
Smart Multimodal Mobility Solutions: Implementing transportation systems that enhance accessibility, reduce emissions, and create more equitable cities
Housing and Small Business Development: Providing targeted support for residents and local entrepreneurs to thrive in rapidly changing urban environments
Neighborhood Activation: Transforming underutilized spaces into productive hubs of innovation and community engagement
2050 AI Road Map
Our five-phase strategic framework helps organizations integrate AI processes and platforms across their operations to optimize business outcomes. The phases include:
Leadership Alignment: Ensuring everyone in the C-suite uses AI and is fully committed to fostering long-term change management
Organizational Assessment: Evaluating technological readiness and identifying AI champions and high-impact implementation opportunities
AI Policy: Developing standard operating procedures that encourage staff use of AI and protect the organization
AI Education & Integration: Systematically incorporating artificial intelligence into existing workflows to enhance efficiency and effectiveness
Performance Measurement: Implementing data-driven systems to continuously improve visitor experiences and organizational performance
The challenges facing our cities today require ambitious solutions that empower cities as knowledge-sharing environments, where information and ideas flow seamlessly between residents, visitors, businesses and institutions in both physical and digital realms. We partner with forward-thinking community leaders who understand the future belongs to cities that can foster meaningful connections effectively, while proudly celebrating their authentic character borne in the wellspring of place.
Welcome to 2050 City.
Greg Oates
greg@2050.city