CHICAGO—Over 50% of the world's population lives in cities, and experts predict that this percentage will increase to about 66% by 2050. This and many other challenges were addressed by urban planners, corporate executives, and non-profit leaders at this week's inaugural Chicago Forum on Global Cities, hosted by The Chicago Council on Global Affairs and the Financial Times. And yesterday afternoon, at a panel on urban infrastructure, a group of experts grappled with how the world's increased urbanization would affect housing prices, livability, aging infrastructure, transportation and many other issues.

Moderator Simon Kuper of the Financial Times pointed out that although global cities were successful in attracting new residents, most were also experiencing steep increases in the price of housing, and asked the panelists what could be done.

“Most people don't think of housing as infrastructure,” replied Henry Cisneros, the former secretary of the US Dept. of Housing and Development and current chairman of CityView, a Los Angeles-based real estate developer and investment management firm. “When they think of infrastructure, they think of roads, water systems and power systems.” However, “we need to think about housing as infrastructure; great cities need a mix of housing types so that people of different incomes can live near each other and, very importantly, live near the places that workers are needed.”