URB has announced what’s billed as the world’s first incubator for sustainable cities. The company, which aims to accelerate the world’s transition to net zero developments, said it will focus entirely on developing new solutions for the next generation of sustainable cities across the world.

Commenting on the launch, CEO Baharash Bagherian said the incubator is an important step in the evolution of the firm’s R&D programme.

By 2050 almost 70% of the world’s population will be living in cities. Rapid increase in population and urbanisation, coupled with climate change, will have severe impacts on cities’ infrastructures and resources, as well as the health and wellbeing of their residents, he added.

Mega-cities with populations of more than 10mn people are also on the rise. The United Nations projects that there will be 41 mega-cities by 2030. This will require a significant shift in the way we design the next generation of cities to ensure they are sustainable, he noted.

“The incubator will be more than a research platform. It will allow us to transfer our sustainability know-how whilst engaging with the best minds in the world, to create an innovation hub centred around sustainable cities,” he explained.

According to Bagherian, R&D is the foundation to creating the next generation of sustainable cities.

He concluded, “The incubator will continue our pursuit of pushing the boundaries in the field of sustainable cities and will be the first of its kind anywhere in the world. Our aim is to discover, support and mentor the next generation of designers. As such the incubator will empower the best young minds whilst promoting a culture of sustainability in urban planning.”