--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When we talk about a city, we need to…" description: "\"When we talk about a city, we need to talk about what the future is. Whats the ideal scenario in the future?\" — Ma Yansong" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5cb/ma-yansong-9334_city_when-we-talk-about-a-city-we-need-to-tal_585764.jpg" --- # When we talk about a city, we need to talk about what the… ![“When we talk about a city, we need to talk about what the future is. Whats the ideal scenario in the future?” quote by Ma Yansong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5cb/ma-yansong-9334_city_when-we-talk-about-a-city-we-need-to-tal_585764.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5cb/ma-yansong-9334_city_when-we-talk-about-a-city-we-need-to-tal_585764.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5cb/ma-yansong-9334_city_when-we-talk-about-a-city-we-need-to-tal_585764.jpg) > “When we talk about a city, we need to talk about what the future is. Whats the ideal scenario in the future?” [Ma Yansong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ma-yansong/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Cities must be imagined with their future roles and ideal conditions in mind, not just current realities. **In simple terms:** Plan cities for tomorrow, not just today. Key Takeaway Design with future needs. Themes urban planning future vision design sustainability Mood hopeful strategic Type visionary inspirational When to use this quote - architectural proposals - policy making - community workshops Key Concepts cityscape anticipatory design social equity Questions to Reflect On - How can we balance present constraints with future aspirations? - What metrics define an ideal future city? A Different Perspective Future predictions can be uncertain and resources limited. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [City](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/city/) [Future](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/future/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [Of course, the ideal scenario for parenting is obviously two parents of a mature age.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-aniston/of-course-the-ideal-scenario-for-parenting-is-obviously-two-parents/) [Jennifer Aniston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-aniston/) > [I built the ideal house down in the Caribbean. All Englishmen dream of leaving the rain of England and getting a place in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-leach/i-built-the-ideal-house-down-in-the-caribbean-all-englishmen-dream-of/) [Robin Leach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-leach/) > [Sometimes, we set ourselves up for this perfect ideal scenario and when it doesn't go that way, it's hard to deal with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stacey-solomon/sometimes-we-set-ourselves-up-for-this-perfect-ideal-scenario-and/) [Stacey Solomon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stacey-solomon/) > [I don't think people are going to talk in the future. They're going to communicate through eye contact, body language, emojis, signs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kanye-west/i-don-t-think-people-are-going-to-talk-in-the-future-they-re-going-to/) [Kanye West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kanye-west/) > [We don't really talk about our future plans. But we, at the same time, try to build things that our users ask us for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-koum/we-don-t-really-talk-about-our-future-plans-but-we-at-the-same-time/) [Jan Koum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-koum/) > [When we talk about the future, we often talk about it as damage and limitation exercise. That needn't be the case - it could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-stevenson/when-we-talk-about-the-future-we-often-talk-about-it-as-damage-and/) Mark Stevenson > [“When people choose between talk about the past and talk about the future, a pragmatic person will always opt for the future and forget…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-greene/when-people-choose-between-talk-about-the-past-and-talk-about-the/) [Robert Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-greene/) > [It's only when you're forbidden to talk about the future that you suddenly realize how much the future normally occupies the present.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-jong/it-s-only-when-you-re-forbidden-to-talk-about-the-future-that-you/) [Erica Jong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-jong/) > [We do a lot of outbound work where we're talking about the future. As we get involved with these new products, it helps us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/parker-harris/we-do-a-lot-of-outbound-work-where-we-re-talking-about-the-future-as/) [Parker Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/parker-harris/) > [I don't think anybody anywhere can talk about the future of their people or of an organization without talking about education. Whoever controls the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilma-mankiller/i-don-t-think-anybody-anywhere-can-talk-about-the-future-of-their/) [Wilma Mankiller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilma-mankiller/) > [I'm 30. I'm not that young, right? I'm not, like, 24 or 22. I'm no longer in the phase of my life where I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-antonoff/i-m-30-i-m-not-that-young-right-i-m-not-like-24-or-22-i-m-no-longer/) [Jack Antonoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-antonoff/) > [Many older people I know are focused on the past. When they talk about the future, they are, quite understandably, preoccupied with the hassles…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bari-weiss/many-older-people-i-know-are-focused-on-the-past-when-they-talk-about/) [Bari Weiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bari-weiss/) > [I find it scary when people talk about me as a future leader. It's like putting a big target on your back.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-varadkar/i-find-it-scary-when-people-talk-about-me-as-a-future-leader-it-s/) [Leo Varadkar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-varadkar/) > [My girlfriend wanted to talk about our future. I told her that there would be flying cars, android and robots. I know I'm so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/my-girlfriend-wanted-to-talk-about-our-future-i-told-her-that-there/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Vision is the ability to talk about the future with such clarity it is as if we are talking about the past.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-sinek/vision-is-the-ability-to-talk-about-the-future-with-such-clarity-it/) [Simon Sinek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-sinek/) ## More by Ma Yansong > [China is a place where you can experience two very contrasting things coexisting. First, the rich, cultural history of the country - and, second,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ma-yansong/china-is-a-place-where-you-can-experience-two-very-contrasting-things/) [Ma Yansong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ma-yansong/) > [I don't like to talk about sustainability, because sometimes I see green buildings that don't appear any different from those in the past.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ma-yansong/i-don-t-like-to-talk-about-sustainability-because-sometimes-i-see/) [Ma Yansong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ma-yansong/) > [Architects think that beauty is a crime.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ma-yansong/architects-think-that-beauty-is-a-crime/) [Ma Yansong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ma-yansong/) > [When I graduated from high school, I thought I wanted to make science fiction movies, so I applied to film school, but I couldn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ma-yansong/when-i-graduated-from-high-school-i-thought-i-wanted-to-make-science/) [Ma Yansong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ma-yansong/) > [If we're talking about the urban landscape as an advanced, forward-thinking art form, there must be some intellectual thinking involved.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ma-yansong/if-we-re-talking-about-the-urban-landscape-as-an-advanced-forward/) [Ma Yansong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ma-yansong/) > [In traditional cities like Beijing, Nanjing, and Hangzhou, nature was a very important part of urban planning - not only as a landscape but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ma-yansong/in-traditional-cities-like-beijing-nanjing-and-hangzhou-nature-was-a/) [Ma Yansong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ma-yansong/) > [I think where traditional values are concerned, Chinese people see nature as very symbolic. It's a form of culture.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ma-yansong/i-think-where-traditional-values-are-concerned-chinese-people-see/) [Ma Yansong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ma-yansong/) > [In China, it's very easy to make architecture special because anything you design will look different, as most parts of the city are very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ma-yansong/in-china-it-s-very-easy-to-make-architecture-special-because-anything/) [Ma Yansong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ma-yansong/) > [The way we do our architecture is to show that we can come up with our own solutions. We don't just take orders.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ma-yansong/the-way-we-do-our-architecture-is-to-show-that-we-can-come-up-with/) [Ma Yansong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ma-yansong/) > [I would say that many architects are very logical. They start their process from analysis and from rational processes to try and find the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ma-yansong/i-would-say-that-many-architects-are-very-logical-they-start-their/) [Ma Yansong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ma-yansong/) > [Although we're architects, we believe we do culture; architecture is culture, and the topics we tackle will always arise a broader debate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ma-yansong/although-we-re-architects-we-believe-we-do-culture-architecture-is/) [Ma Yansong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ma-yansong/) > [We proposed Tiananmen Square - this very empty political square in the city centre - should turn green. Maybe in the future, this space…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ma-yansong/we-proposed-tiananmen-square-this-very-empty-political-square-in-the/) [Ma Yansong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ma-yansong/) > [I treat my projects as art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ma-yansong/i-treat-my-projects-as-art/) [Ma Yansong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ma-yansong/) > [To allow millions of people to live together on limited land, we have to go to the sky; we have to build a high…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ma-yansong/to-allow-millions-of-people-to-live-together-on-limited-land-we-have/) [Ma Yansong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ma-yansong/) > [A door handle is very symbolic to me. It is the first object that one will interact with before entering a new space.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ma-yansong/a-door-handle-is-very-symbolic-to-me-it-is-the-first-object-that-one/) [Ma Yansong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ma-yansong/) [Explore all 73 Ma Yansong quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ma-yansong/) ## More City quotes > [I've seen a lot of people come out of Carol City, but I had this distinct vision for Carol City, just me coming out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denzel-curry/i-ve-seen-a-lot-of-people-come-out-of-carol-city-but-i-had-this/) [Denzel Curry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denzel-curry/) > [I always say if you put someone from a small town into a big city for ten years, then when they go back, they'll…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-colter/i-always-say-if-you-put-someone-from-a-small-town-into-a-big-city-for/) [Mike Colter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-colter/) > [I've been to Manchester enough to know it's a real place. It's not Factory Records and the Smiths bicycling around. I get it. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-murphy/i-ve-been-to-manchester-enough-to-know-it-s-a-real-place-it-s-not/) [James Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-murphy/) > [Though 'Fat City' was written long before cellphones or the Internet, its human apparatus is state of the art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-dunn/though-fat-city-was-written-long-before-cellphones-or-the-internet/) [Katherine Dunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-dunn/) > [I get paid to play, to win, to give the city pride, so maybe everybody can forget for a little while how hard life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randall-cunningham/i-get-paid-to-play-to-win-to-give-the-city-pride-so-maybe-everybody/) [Randall Cunningham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randall-cunningham/) > [In my first 100 days as Ontario's Minister of Transportation, I found a willing municipal partner in the City of Toronto that shares our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-mulroney/in-my-first-100-days-as-ontario-s-minister-of-transportation-i-found/) [Caroline Mulroney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-mulroney/) > [Even after my family moved West, I would come back to Long Island as a teenager, stay with aunts and go to the city…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/everlast/even-after-my-family-moved-west-i-would-come-back-to-long-island-as-a/) [Everlast](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/everlast/) > [We all got driven out of Manhattan. It was a very conducive place for artists when I was growing up, and now it's definitely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gaby-hoffmann/we-all-got-driven-out-of-manhattan-it-was-a-very-conducive-place-for/) [Gaby Hoffmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gaby-hoffmann/) > [I was always attracted most to joining City, and I am pleased to be at such a good club with such a big ambition…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edin-dzeko/i-was-always-attracted-most-to-joining-city-and-i-am-pleased-to-be-at/) [Edin Dzeko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edin-dzeko/) > [“Poor people do not go on holiday; they go home.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/poor-people-do-not-go-on-holiday-they-go-home/) [Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/) > [I know of not one Republican candidate that would not appear publicly with Mitt Romney and I know many Democrats that don't even want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-sessions/i-know-of-not-one-republican-candidate-that-would-not-appear-publicly/) [Pete Sessions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-sessions/) > [We have an obligation at the local level to do everything we can with the resources we have. And we do those things. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-wheeler/we-have-an-obligation-at-the-local-level-to-do-everything-we-can-with/) [Ted Wheeler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-wheeler/) > [I didn't know the city at all, but I was so happy to be in New York I cried. I was so excited.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greta-gerwig/i-didn-t-know-the-city-at-all-but-i-was-so-happy-to-be-in-new-york-i/) [Greta Gerwig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greta-gerwig/) > [I loved 'Chicago Code;' I watched that a lot. It was great because it really captured the city - I'm from Chicago, too.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessy-schram/i-loved-chicago-code-i-watched-that-a-lot-it-was-great-because-it/) [Jessy Schram](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessy-schram/) > [Vienna is a handsome, lively city, and pleases me exceedingly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-chopin/vienna-is-a-handsome-lively-city-and-pleases-me-exceedingly/) [Frederic Chopin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-chopin/) [Browse all 5,394 City quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/city/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "When we talk about a city, we need to talk about what the future is. 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