Urbanization is the single most important global megatrend for the elevator and escalator industry and will drive demand in the years to come. As cities become ever more crowded, sustainable urban planning will become one of the prerequisites for successful urbanization and must take into account important environmental and social issues.
Urbanization highlights the importance of efficient movement of people from one place to another
In 2008, the world population reached a new milestone: an equal amount of people live in both urban and rural areas. People living in urban areas worldwide currently amount to three billion, and this number is expected to reach five billion by 2030.
The number of mega cities with over 10 million inhabitants has increased tremendously from 2 in 1950 to 10 in 1990 and is expected to grow to 21 already by 2010. These changes will be most evident in Asia, where long-term population growth is estimated to continue. New equipment sales are heavily
concentrated in Asia, with more than one-quarter of new elevators and one-half of new escalators installed in China.
Rapid urbanization highlights the importance of efficient movement of people. More people need to be transported in the same space, at the same time. This requires higher vertical travel and higher speeds as well as efficient services to run equipment 24/7 without interruption.
