“Cities are 3D printing their way to more sustainable futures,” writes Katie Pyzyk for Smart Cities Dive. And her examples are plenty: from office buildings and single-family homes to transport infrastructure like bridges, bus stops and ticket vending machines, 3D printing is a disruptive technology that has the potential to revolutionize how cities build and function.

Calling Dubai “a leader in imagining ways to utilize 3D printing”, Pyzyk reports that the city’s 3D Printing Strategy requires that every new building by 25 per cent 3D printed by 2025. Amsterdam will install the world’s first 3D printed pedestrian bridge made of stainless steel in 2019. And in Shanghai, Winsun has built a bus shelter made of concrete and recycled materials.

As Pyzyk points out, 3D printing could even be used to solve a major urban crisis: the affordability, availability and sustainability of housing. “There really is a multi-layered problem with housing in the world,” said Jason Ballard, co-founder of Icon. 

The Austin-based 3D printing startup believes that by reducing the amount of time to build a home, 3D printing drastically reduces overall construction costs and allows for rapid increases in housing supply. Its material of choice is concrete because it is cheap, strong and more energy efficient than other materials in the long run. Concrete structures are also more resilient to environmental conditions and disasters.