What does New York City have in common with cities in Africa and Asia, like Mumbai, Seoul, Jakarta, Lagos, Cairo and Kinshasa? Population growth, aging and environmental pressures will transform these metropolises by 2050, according to a panel of experts who took up the issue of "sustainable cities" at a panel discussion.

The members of the panel — a population scientist, a deputy mayor and an architectural critic — made sobering predictions about urban change over the next several decades.

The discussion on Monday night was organized by the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, an honorary society in Cambridge, Mass., that conducts independent policy research. It was held at the Hearst Tower, which opened last year. The tower was designed by Sir Norman Foster and has been certified by the United States Green Building Council for its environmentally sensitive engineering and design.

Read more: http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/12/04/considering-the-urban-planet-of-2050/?hp