Today I read an article from NYDailyNews.com, The future of the city: Ring in the new New York in 2020, forecasting what life in The City will be like 10 years from now.
You can read the article in its entirety here, but I just thought I would re-post the portion titled "20 Predictions for NYC 2020."
1. There are more than a million New Yorkers over the age of 65, up considerably from 2010.
2. Across the metro area, people use one "smart" card for all mass transit, including subways, buses, PATH trains, NJ Transit, LIRR and AirTrain.
3. In his final year before retiring, Lebron James delivers the Knicks their fourth NBA championship in 10 years.
4. Staten Island's population exceeds 500,000 for the first time.
5. Greatly expanded wireless coverage allows New Yorkers with a laptop to get online just about anywhere, from park benches and ferries to the backseat of a taxi.
6. Congestion pricing is now a reality, with user fees on all bridge crossings into Manhattan.
7. There are several thousand fewer school-age children in the city in 2020 compared with 2010.
8. Only one national bookstore chain is left in New York, with less than a dozen stores.
9. The former Fresh Kills landfill is home to a wind farm, the city's first major wind power generator.
10. The NYPD now routinely videotapes the interrogation of suspects.
11. A majority of apartments in the city have smart electricity meters, giving New Yorkers more control over their energy usage.
12. Twice as many city charter schools exist as in 2009, bringing the total number to over 200.
13. New York has its first Asian or Latino mayor.
14. Thanks to new technologies, the city converts some of its waste into renewable energy, reducing the amount of trash going to landfills while creating jobs.
15. CUNY enrollment is 50% higher than the level of 2009, with much of the growth at community colleges.
16. The city's unemployment rate still hasn't returned to the levels of 2007-2008, when it was below 5%.
17. A majority of New York City doctors have converted from paper-based medical records to electronic records.
18. The city's poverty rate still hovers at around 2%.
19. Security cameras are much more prevalent, a result of city efforts to prevent terrorist attacks.
20. The Dow is again above 14,000, but it didn't top the highs of 2008 until 2016.
The article does mention that much of the city's population will be attributed to young professionals, artists, and other young people attracted to the idea of big city life and the opportunities it can bring, but I think it is interesting that people age 65 and up will make up quite a bit of the population.
What are your thoughts on the 20 predictions and the article in general?
