Six trends shaping city life

70% of the world’s population will live in urban areas by 2050, what the former premier of British Columbia, Mike Harcourt, refers to as the urban tsunami. Clearly, the design and re-design of our cities for greater sustainability is critically important. Key questions like what is the optimal density, can we re-introduce biodiversity and food hubs integrally into our daily lives, and many others will determine our collective liveability? This article discusses six design trends for the future city.

1. The sharing economy will apply to housing, too
2. Restaurants will double as living rooms
3. Your office will look like a library
4. The big box store will be on the block
5. Your health will become a retail product
6. Infrastructure and transportation