February 23rd, 2021

We have all seen them, haven't we? In movies and in popular culture, there has been a sort of generalised vision of what the cities of the future should look like. Nonetheless, the vision of flying cars and buildings above the clouds does not look like it's coming anytime soon.

The pandemic has forever changed the dynamics of urban planning in Europe. The mega-complexes we saw in prop up in the USA during the 1950s has been slowly moving to Europe in the past 25 or 30 years. These are large office complexes, malls, or industrial cities. A more "Americanised" way of life in Europe which has increasingly revolved around the car and large, concentrated, specialised areas. Residential, commercial and industrial completely separated. However, the advent of "distance working" has made the huge office complexes of large multi-national companies obsolete. People now do not have to go into the office.

The Uncommon Sense Approach

Well, what does this mean? Possibly, a European future (as American urban societies are too well established for a dynamic change) where commercial and residential projects are integrated. This already happens in Europe, but now the new projects might seek this new, revitalised and rejuvenated model which adopts the circumstances. People will now value rapid and easy convenience to commercial areas.