With population growth ever exploding, it is essential for architects to understand the ongoing process of the modernization of cities. Join Craig Hartman of SOM and Reinier de Graaf of OMA as they explore how design, technology and economies of scale enhance cities’ sustainable development, social, cultural and economic cohesion. Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP (SOM) has a long history of minimizing environmental impact and producing healthier places to live and work. Its master plan to re-envision San Francisco’s Parkmerced neighborhood represents an unparalleled opportunity to incrementally transform an outmoded, automobile-dependent district into an international example of sustainability. AMO, a design and research studio based in the company's Rotterdam office is the counterpart to OMA's architectural practice. Most recently, AMO has attempted to respond to the rapid modernization of cities through their work in sustainable development and large scale renewable energy planning. In 2008, AMO proposed ‘Zeekracht’, a trans-national ring of off-shore wind farms in the North Sea, in 2010 launched Roadmap 2050 for Europe, and earlier this year The WWF Energy Report proposing a world 100% reliant on renewable energy by 2050.