Waterfront Cities of the World

Known as the windy city, Chi-town - or just Chill, Chi- cago, Illinois, is without a doubt, a multi-layered city, both architecturally and socially. Once ravaged by raging flames, it has always found a way to renew itself in order to remain the Queen of the Midwest. Although division is a reality to this day, community action runs strong and art is effectively taking over the streets.

At the crossroads of the Atlantic and Mediterranean, this rich historical meeting ground of cultures and artists is also known as The Dream City. History fuses with the present in Tangier and its future is already palpable, as his majesty King Mohammed VI is in the midst of ridding the city of its drug and debauchery-tainted reputation to give way to an inviting hub of tourism and commerce.

Bicycles and Amsterdam are so inseparable that bikes are said to outnumber people here. Also known as the Venice of the North, the city is home to 165 canals and over 1300 bridges. Famous for its tradition of tolerance and diversity, open mindedness is actually what's paving the way to Amsterdam's future, as it lacks the space to house its inhabitants.

As the richest capital of the world, it is also the most expensive. Once known as a sleepy city Oslo is now a cosmopolitan and cultural hot spot. Although its prosperity derives from the oil industry, nature forms most of its scenery. This is a land where modernity meets simplicity, as life's finest pleasures and the great outdoors are always just a hop and skip away.

Dublin's reputation as a port of exodus for Dubliners seeking new lives elsewhere is not new. After a decade-long bubble of economic success, the city has fallen back into a dismal recession forcing many of its citizens to leave once again. However life in Dublin continues and, as in the past where literature and music have flourished despite bad times.

A mega-city with a centuries-old foreign presence, Seoul is a city coming into its own. Whether it's the stylish high-end Seoul culture of Gangnam or the 24/7 beat of a city that never sleeps, Seoul is a happening world capital. In spite of its intensive industrial past, Seoul has big plans to become the greenest capital in the world by 2030. It's a city determined to prosper.

The City of Angels is an example of endless urban sprawl. While the city's centre has had a small role in LA's recent urban development, its small surrounding communities have become an integral part of LA's varied multiple identities. Often considered a city of reinvention, people have always flocked to LA to pursue their dreams.

Surrounded by water and volcanoes, Auckland is an outdoor lover's paradise. However for a long time Auck-landers were perceived by New Zealanders as pretentious, eccentric and stressed out. Cut to today's Auckland as it morphs into a centre of multicultural cool and where the current mayor is determined to make the city the most liberal city in the world.

In the past, the colonial city of Cartagena has been tainted by its country's long-standing drug violence. But today's Cartagena has shed its sordid image, promoting itself as the tourist destination du jour. With its beautiful downtown beaches, restored old city and a place on the New York Times foodie circuit, Cartagena is slowly reclaiming its title as the Pearl of the Caribbean.

Located between the ocean and the mountains, Rio is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. No other city is home to such an incredible natural setting. However not far from the beaches and Rio's Foresto da Tijuca - the largest urban forest in the world - are the city's favelas where over 20% of the city's population live in poverty and crime. Stay tuned as Rio transforms itself.

Mumbai is a city that never stops. Bustling and chaotic, it's a unique mix of India, Hollywood, Art Deco, old wealth and new wealth ... and where over half of the population lives in poverty. Mumbai is a city of contradictions. An ever-increasing population is pushing the city to rethink its urban development and how it will house one of the highest middle class populations in the world.

At 23 million people, Shanghai is the ultimate Water- front City. It's a megalopolis and port city that shows no signs of slowing down.

Shanghai is a city where capitalism flourishes and urban development fuels the growth of this ever-changing city - but where everyday life is still strongly rooted in the traditions and culture that are uniquely Shanghai.