Cities in the modern era are confronted with a diverse range of urban issues including the increase in natural disasters due to climate changes, aggravation of the international competition between metropolises, lack of high quality employment opportunities in the knowledge-based society, aging of the residential and industrial estates, and lack of residences for low-income families arising from the worsening of the polarization in the household income classes.
Such urban problems can be resolved through the establishment of plans that forecasts and prepares for the changes in the future.