8 x 60’
Revealing seemingly insurmountable problems caused by population pressure, climate change, geo-political instability before delving into the human ingenuity behind the surprising solutions. Each episode demonstrates a range of engineering innovation in cities that are ancient or new, planned or haphazardly grown, with populations increasing, or diminishing.
Every city comes with its own challenges; Naples rests at the foot of the world’s most dangerous volcano, Melbourne is undergoing a huge population increase while trying to retain its famous ‘most livable city’ record, while climate change is having an increasing impact everywhere from Tokyo to New York.
Digging into the places so many call home reveals engineering wonders and hidden feats of genius which ensure entire populations survive and thrive. This fast-paced series tells stories of failure and success, of tragedy and survival, of inventiveness and triumph. The story of these eight cities is the story of the irrepressible human spirit.
