efficiency of distribution (See Section 3.2). Synthetic biology [22] (wet second-order living technology) is promising for producing cleaner fuels [91], as well as technology to reduce or prevent pollution, such as buildings that absorb carbon dioxide and bioluminescent trees that do not require electricity [6]. The efficient and adaptive production and distribution of energy, as envisioned by the concept of a “smart grid” [50, 5] is similar to other urban problems: there is a varying demand, as well as a varying production, which ideally should match the demand. Living technology can certainly benefit energy grids, coordinating local generation of energy and distributing it “on demand”. Another application of living technology is the dynamic regulation of rainwater to collect water and prevent floods, where catchment systems react on the weather forecasts and water supply levels [97, 116]. “Smart skins” for buildings have also been proposed for temperature regulation minimiz- ing energy consumption. [112]. A sustainable economy should produce more than what it consumes. Moreover, it has to accommodate employments, opportunities, and pensions for dynamic populations (aging in some countries, growing fast in others). W. Brian Arthur has recently described “the second economy” [7], based on information technology, where processes are interacting, adapting, and having an effect on the “physical” economy. Arthur mentions that the second economy has properties of living systems, since digital devices and processes are starting to sense, compute, make decisions, and perform actions adaptively and independently of humans. Businesses and enterprises also have to develop and acquire living technology, since the demands of the markets are changing constantly and at increasing speeds. Organizations that are adaptive and robust will have better chances of enduring unpredictable changes in the economy. Moreover, urban living technology is itself a novel business niche [8]. Living technology can also have a positive effect in the social aspects of urban spaces. Safety was already mentioned, but in general living technology can help citizens to be more 16