In today's global environment all major cities have to compete for business, investment, skills and influence. Businesses, investment capital and labour have greater fluidity than ever before, moving more freely and in greater quantity to the most attractive markets. As a result our major cities face competition on multiple levels; regional, national, continental and global. The evolution and pace of change within cities in response to this competition is constrained by a common limitation - their capacity for development. To enable them to work more efficiently, they are tasked with the constant challenge of developing their infrastructure ahead of the economic pace.
However, all cities have one crucial and common resource - their people. The global magnetism of a premier city stems not from its infrastructure, but from the power and energy it draws from those who live and work in it, and so sustain it. Despite the future changes we will see as a result of global warming, 24/7 high density urban development and inter-connectivity the "Livability" of a city, as we see it, is its core quality and attraction to its population and acts as the primary catalyst for change.
The designers at FoRM believe that in order to achieve quality in this competitive and changing built environment, we must take a collaborative and creative approach. Whether it is the creation of a public square, a street, park or infrastructure, we need to recognise that one person cannot achieve this alone, and instead it requires a multifaceted and culturally informed response.