The way the wind blows.

People, places, possibilities… what will the next decade hold for the ever-evolving reality of sustainability?

Illustrations by Owen Davey

LET'S TALK

JamesFord@hoarelea.com GregJones@hoarelea.com

Societal evolution: ‘The shared experience’.

The concept of ownership is waning. With greater proportions of society preferring to share assets and experiences, more and more people will come together around a common platform, be that transport, open space, food, leisure and other amenities. Flying abroad may drop in popularity, and people will look to their community for experiences available on their doorstep... Even better? If those experiences can be diverse and multi-cultural, bringing the world to our own corner of planet.

A strengthened community.

Communities are the building blocks of a lively, interconnected network of services and relationships that enable places to thrive. Simply constructing buildings in isolation is not enough. Highly inclusive, fluid and connected public spaces cohere people together and help create a vibrant community. Knitting the existing with new and honouring local spirit will spark strong community integration.

Embracing diversity of people, activities and experiences.

Using the ‘feel-good gravitational force’ of activity and experiences, places can draw in people from all walks of life, increasing the overall value created by a site. Single-use buildings (much like single-use plastics!) will become the minority. In their place, hubs made up of homes, workplaces, retail and leisure spaces, with strong public transport networks will become the norm. By activating public spaces from the outset, activities will emerge organically in response to demand, and design inclusivity will ensure appeal to a wide range of social and demographic groups.

Empowered local voice.

Asking, listening and being open to challenge will foster community engagement as an iterative process throughout placemaking. This transcends consultation and enables local communities to generate ideas and collaboratively co-create a place. Diverse engagement methods and communication channels will be deployed to engage audiences who are typically less involved with such processes, and balance out the vocal minorities who tend to dominate the conversation. Success will be defined throughout the lifespan of a development at a multiplicity of junctures, and engagement will take an array of different forms responding to the context. Inclusivity and transparency will help build trust, confidence and a dialogue that leads to opportunities on all sides.

Individual evolution: ‘Mindful living’.

People have never been more aware of what they need to be well. Yet, often access to facilities to lead healthy, active lifestyles can be limited… Cities and placemaking present a multitude of opportunities where small changes can make massive impacts – from jobs, to transport, social experiences, and community connections. Locations that offer people a place for wellness will be in high demand…

Personal needs become sacrosanct.

With the growth of technologies such as personal assistants, people have greater access to data on their wellbeing and are more informed than ever about the benefits of having healthy lifestyles. We also increasingly more tapped into our own personal needs, and how they might differ from others, whether mentally or physically. Wellbeing requires an element of control and autonomy over our own bodies and decisions, so places that offer us flexibility and freedom will naturally move further up the desirability chain.

Cultivating urban wellness.

Wellness spans both the conscious and subconscious. Inclusive public space, green infrastructure, accessible public realm and people-centric design and mobility come together to create a holistic health landscape for all. Ultimately, cleaner, quieter and healthier environments encourage people to walk and play, to discover and share, to meet and talk. Places will respond to the innate human need to connect with nature, by integrating biophilic design elements within buildings, celebrating the horticultural heritage of an area, and maximising the potential of public space from both an ecology and people perspective.

Safe, inviting environments.

How safe a place is directly related to how safe a place feels. Creating reassuring but also inviting environments will be given prime consideration from the outset, ensuring that we all feel safe in large gatherings and accessible areas. Attractive and sociable public spaces will provide a natural stimulus for opening up areas and enhancing inclusive access to spaces, but also ensuring people’s safety in unobtrusive, and often nature-led, ways.

Natural evolution: ‘Realigned to a nature-led philosophy’.

Modernism has been at the vanguard of design for the last century. Characterised by simplicity of aesthetic, open spaces, ‘clean lines’, in many instances, the style has led to a disconnect from nature. In 2100, when we look back at the defining style of our current age, could we recognise the re-birth of Naturalism as the leading philosophy of the time? Would this apply not only to design and placemaking, but in how people choose to live? Will we exist as part of nature, not in defiance of it?

Connecting people with nature.

Success lies in not bringing the natural ‘into’ the built environment, but rather in blurring the lines between the two. We will see welcoming and accessible spaces where people enjoy and interact with nature. This new approach is about amplifying and cultivating an affinity with the natural world. A compilation of green streets, spaces, places and activities bring an array of benefits, from improved air quality to resilience and urban tranquillity. These are garden-city principles combined with the density of urban amenity.

Celebration of natural diversity.

The productive power of nature-based solutions will be central, not only to enhancing biodiversity but also to creating broader social, environmental and economic gains. An emphasis on diverse and natural habitats, along with green and blue infrastructure within developments will nurture climate resilient, living ecosystems and create temperatures comfortable for all. Strategic landscaping will increase species’ resilience to factors like disease, climate change and invasive species. Government-led Local Nature Recovery Strategies will have restored key areas. Nature’s value is amplified when it flourishes and, ultimately, strengthens our ability to depend on natural systems for food security, water management, air quality and temperature regulation.

Championing the circular economy.

The key principles of durability, disassembly, re-use and adaptability will enable the efficient use of natural resources during a development’s lifecycle. Modern will be mainstream when it comes to methods of construction. The industry will replace its indulgence in inefficiency and waste, and instead embrace a creative productivity... One that captures the sculptural art in architecture in combination with the natural poetry of circularity.

Water is an impending crisis that hasn’t yet hit the collective UK consciousness. Urban environments will be planned and constructed to soak up almost every raindrop and capture that water for reuse. Recycled water can be used to recharge depleted aquifers, irrigate gardens and urban farms, or – when properly treated – can replace drinking water, flush toilets or even clean homes.

Physical evolution: ‘Relevant in times of revolution’.

Change is non-linear and so is human development – we often grow through epiphany or eureka moments that challenge our received wisdom, mimicking the ‘development leaps’ we make when we’re children. It’s said that necessity is the mother of all invention, and nothing is more powerful than an idea whose time has come. Are we due the next great leap? The success of places will hinge on our ability to enable visions of the future to become reality.

Access, connectivity and multi-modal mobility.

Pedestrian priority and super connected places will be a defining character of the future of placemaking. Transcending its physical boundaries, sites will leverage their ability to link together practical places and desirable destinations. Multi-modal, people-centric mobility will underpin the promotion of healthy, active lifestyles and foster the creation of diverse communities. A development will stitch into the local area, linking public transport nodes while leveraging network connectivity to influence wider Net Zero Carbon ambitions for surrounding areas.

Beyond net zero.

Transparency and accountability against these targets will become the day-to-day of society’s whole-life net zero carbon future. By embracing innovation to reduce energy consumption, using energy intelligently, and sourcing as well as generating renewable energy, developments will have adaptable climate-positive energy strategies that provide benefits outside of their remit. From intelligent energy-demand management through live data, to energy generating building facades, buildings will be the solution rather than the problem.

Digitally enhanced lifestyle.

Bringing intelligence to the operation of energy and mobility infrastructure, and enabling connectivity at a personal, local and global level will be fundamental to masterplans. It will involve meeting the expectations of early adopters (of technology we cannot even begin to imagine yet) who will always be at the forefront of the hype cycle, while enabling ubiquitous empowerment for all. The democratised evolution of digital transformation will be supported through our places of work, rest and play, and ultimately enhance our everyday lives.

Economic evolution: ‘The future belongs to the curious’.

Activation of inclusive growth.

Maximising shared value will be the order of the day. A collective-impact approach to development will simultaneously deliver responsible growth for investors while benefiting local communities. Places will be ethical economic generators, attracting new flows of benefits to the local area and elevating the quality of life of the people who live, work and socialise within them. Advancing social mobility will be a guiding principle, activating local opportunities throughout the construction and everyday life of a development.

A thriving hub fostering innovation and entrepreneurship.

Highly accessible connected hubs will thrive on the ingenuity of entrepreneurship. Harnessing the vibrancy of opportunity, the most forward-thinking developments will host a diverse range of businesses and academic institutions, from start-ups to established multi-nationals, from science and research to creative industries. The innovation that emerges from the creative clash of contrasting uses, industries and sectors will catalyse the potential for business growth.

Multi-generational knowledge, skills and expertise.

Our places of the future will realise every opportunity to advance knowledge, skills and expertise for nurturing a happy, fulfilling life and help create a resilient and inclusive society. Strategies for multi-generational living, learning and collaboration on-site will reap benefits across the board. Accessible and inclusive opportunities for young people and under-represented groups will bring the spirit of ‘good growth’ and embed it into all corners of the country and beyond.

LET'S TALK

JamesFord@hoarelea.com GregJones@hoarelea.com