Singapore, Republic of Singapore — The development of sustainable urban infrastructure is one of the greatest challenges of the 21st century. With more than half of the global population already squeezed into cities that, collectively, make up less than two percent of the planet’s land cover(1), the pressure now being placed on urban infrastructure is unprecedented. This worldwide demand for infrastructure is expected to require the investment of tens of trillions of dollars over the next four decades in order to create and maintain sustainable and highly-liveable urban areas that balance the needs of the population, the economy and the environment.

To that end, KPMG’s Global Infrastructure Practice is pleased to announce the much-anticipated second edition of the Infrastructure 100: World Cities Edition – a high-profile report showcasing 100 of the most innovative and inspiring urban infrastructure projects from around the world. Released at the World Cities Summit in Singapore, this edition provides insight into the infrastructure projects that make great cities, with a particular focus on the innovations that make them ‘Cities of the Future’ – places where people want to live and do business.

“Existing urban infrastructure is in urgent need of revitalization, and demands for new infrastructure have skyrocketed to meet the basic needs of growing populations. The world’s cities are already home to more than half the world’s population, and that number is expected to jump by more than three billion by 2050,” said Nick Chism, KPMG’s Global Head of Infrastructure. “The World Cities Edition looks specifically at the challenges faced by cities around the world and features 100 innovative projects that can inspire readers to conceive, finance and develop infrastructure projects that make a positive difference to the cities we live in.”

From managing exploding urban population growth to updating aging infrastructure or effectively managing a declining population and tax base, each region of the world faces major infrastructure challenges that must be met in order to ensure the economic health of the region.

“Cities are playing an ever more important part in their country’s economy. However, current global economic conditions and austerity measures have resulted in a need to identify innovative infrastructure solutions to deliver the required investments,” said James Stewart, KPMG’s Chairman of Global Infrastructure. “Strategic city infrastructure projects are delivering economic renewal by connecting communities and increasing jobs while delivering tangible long-term impacts and growth. But the importance of investing in sound, smart infrastructure cannot be overstated.”

Image Courtesy of  Neale Cousland / Shutterstock.com

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In a global study released January 25 at the World Economic Forum, it was revealed that international travel is considered even more important than the Internet, TV/movies, or political diplomacy at stimulating the economy and breaking down cultural barriers.

The independent study was conducted by Penn Schoen Berland on behalf of Marriott International and included the views of 1,100 global travelers and opinion leaders from eight countries, including Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States.

Ninety-six percent of respondents, who ranged in age from under 35 to over 50 years old, believed that travel and tourism stimulates the economy, while 77 percent felt that “the more people experience other countries and cultures, the more peace will spread.”

“I believe we are entering a ‘Golden Age of Travel,’ where opportunities to do business and travel abroad are opening up like never before,” said Arne Sorenson, Marriott International’s CEO-elect and current president, pointing to the number of international arrivals, which have doubled in the last 10 years and will reach 1 billion in 2012 (UN World Tourism Organization).  “Travel opens up your mind, your heart and your wallet. This survey shows it is also a powerful form of soft diplomacy in the world today.”

“Bringing down barriers to travel creates jobs and prosperity and we applaud President Obama’s announcement to reform U.S. visa and entry systems to welcome more international visitors.  We look forward to even more progress in the U.S. and around the world to develop multi-national solutions that will grow the travel industry and benefit economies and people worldwide.”

According to the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), the industry is predicted to account for an extra 69 million net jobs by 2021, including direct, indirect and induced employ­ment — almost 80 percent of which will be in Asia, Latin America, the Middle East and Africa.

Put another way, one American job is created for every 35 international visitors to the U.S., according to the U.S. Travel Association.  Marriott plans to fill about 60,000 jobs in 2012 alone, with two-thirds of those being in countries outside the U.S., where more than 50 percent of its hotel pipeline resides.

WTTC estimates that total contributions of Travel & Tourism to the global gross domestic product (GDP) are forecast to rise by 4.2 percent annually to US $9.226 trillion by 2021.  Visitor exports—or the amount visitors spend in a given foreign country—will increase 6.6 percent annually through 2021, rising to US$1.789 billion by 2021.

As an example, in New York City alone, Brazilians spent a total of $1.63 billion, topping the $1.42 billion spent by travelers from the U.K., the $1.27 billion spent by Canadians and the$1.1 billion spent by Italians, according to NYC & Co., the city’s tourism board.

“We already knew that travel and tourism have a major impact on the economy, but now we also know that it can change people’s views worldwide,” says Mark Penn, CEO of Penn Schoen Berland and CEO of Burson-Marsteller.  “International travelers advance people’s understanding of different cultures and reinforce all that we as humans have in common with each other.”

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