Gensler’s Post

{MEMBERS NEWS} "A city’s strength and prosperity depend on a strong downtown and city center, which serve as hubs of culture, knowledge, and innovation. The performance of these districts and city centers enhances an entire region’s economic productivity, inclusion, vibrancy, identity, and resilience". The Value of Downtown Study conducted by International Downtown Association showcases the impressive results of the Chicago Loop and demonstrates its importance for the economic and social development of the entire city and surrounding area. Here the full report 👉 https://bit.ly/3AGzMNT

Assets trading at an 87% discount? ✔️ +33% vacancy rates? ✔️ Uncertain future demand? ✔️ One of the greatest chapters in the history of our urban cores is being written today and we all get to be a part of it. 👍

RISKS, REWARDS AND THE FUTURE OF DOWNTOWN - Austin Business Journal 🏙️💼 Exploring the future of downtowns! 🌟 Cities nationwide are eyeing office-building conversions to revitalize urban centers in the hybrid era. While promising, it's no guaranteed fix. Let's delve into the risks, rewards, and the intricate journey ahead. 🔄🌆 https://lnkd.in/g8tETaan #UrbanRevitalization #FutureCities #DowntownTransformation 🏗️

I recently read a NYTimes article about the value of letting silicon valley investors build a whole city outside of San Fransisco. (For whatever reason LinkedIn won't let me post the link...ahh technology 😊 ). Anyway - here are the thoughts I'd like to share. A core tenet of the book - The Joy Experiments, written by Scott Higgins and myself, is that cities will be the cradle of the social, economic and environmental change humanity will require over the next 50-100 years. This is because cities have always been the habitat of the human spirit. Densely populated urban areas have been the birthplace of inventions, the humanities, new forms of collaboration and social tolerance. In the book “Age of the City”, Ian Goldin and Tome Lee-Devlin articulate this idea in the following way “…it was not until the emergence of the city that Homo Sapiens developed the mechanisms needed to facilitate cooperation beyond the scale of a small tribe constantly on the move.”   So, given the pressures and needs for change, it is not that outlandish of an idea to imaging that city building should also be a collaborative activity - shared between public, private and institutional sectors. City building is ripe for positive disruption and in our book we suggest that if you want collaboration to be an output of what you create, it must also be part of your process.   More people, beyond municipal government officials, should be at the city building table. However, its hard to simply open our arms to a city almost exclusively being built by the sector responsible for much of the technology that encourages virtual living over real human contact, ecommerce shopping carts vs. vibrant main streets and social online dysfunction vs. collective moments of communal joy.   Do we need more affordable housing? Yes. But a city is more than a collection of buildings that makes it easier for the nation’s productivity to grow. Cities are our hope for a joyful future in which flexible thinking, collaboration and tolerance win the day. Let’s encourage more to participate in city building, but also let’s challenge those who are at the table to ensure what they build contain infrastructure for the human spirit in a way that matches the challenges humanity faces today.   #citybuilding #cities #urbanplanning #urbandesign #realestatedevelopment #joyfulcities #socialchange #joyexperiments

This week an historical moment for the real estate industry will occur, and what better setting to celebrate than the ever-awake NYC! Each morning, I embrace the city's pulse, absorbing how over 8 million people thrive in just 302 square miles. NYC, with its efficient use of space epitomizes density done right. Reflecting on New York's relentless vibrancy, I gleaned three key insights for Colorado Springs, our own America's backyard: 1. Public Transportation is Essential: As Colorado Springs expands, integrating robust public transit will be crucial. It's not just a convenience; it's a backbone that supports urban growth and enhances city life. 2. Harmonious Coexistence: NYC’s blend of architecture, nature, art, and technology, despite its challenges, demonstrates the power of diversity in urban planning. Since 1624, this city has managed to balance growth with culture. 3. Cultural Capital: New York City, often called the cultural capital of the world, shows us the strength of cultural diversity. This is something we aspire to reflect in Colorado Springs to enrich our community's fabric. These lessons from NYC inspire us to think bigger and bolder for Colorado Springs. We’re not just aiming to shake off the 'lame' label; we're on a path to unlock our full potential. Let’s bring these big city lessons home and craft a future where Colorado Springs shines even brighter on the national stage. #RealEstateInnovation #UrbanDevelopment #ColoradoSpringsFuture

💡Lessons for Public Realm Prototypes —> Long-Term Investments 💡 The title of the piece misses the most important thesis of the article—evolution is clunky, and needs guardrails and process to ensure public realm transformations are equitable and sustainable. Paris is Paris because all of those bistros and cafes follow extensive guidelines. And nevertheless, Paris is still Paris. Balancing a vision for long term transformation, shaped by thoughtful design and community process, with our want for instant gratification is essential as we move from 2020 prototypes into a new era of street life in our cities. “Change is a gradual, uneven, and protracted process, one that doesn’t necessarily reveal itself in before-and-after snapshots from 2020 and 2024. The city is always trying to formalize the casual and eliminate the slovenly, without sacrificing authenticity. It’s a delicate operation that takes time and we don’t always get it right. And yet, hesitantly and much too slowly, New York is finally enshrining the realization that the city’s soul resides in its streets and needs room to thrive there.” #PublicSpace #OutdoorDining #DowntownHouston

Would really like to see this implemented more in London (home) and UK - not only in central areas. So tired of the public walking systems being dictated to by vehicular traffic which can delay journeys as you wait to cross busy roads. Being able to walk everywhere is far more economical sustainable, and healthy than relying on a car. Have empathy for those with vulnerable family members who need the car or live remotely, however let's be real majority of people on the road are singular car drivers (no passengers). And the latter makes it more vital to bring amenities and affordable public transport links closer to home. What do you think? https://lnkd.in/ecqscd6R

Interesting to reflect on the successful adoption of The 15-Minute City in cities from Milan to Buenos Aires, and more explicitly Paris, in comparison to London and the UK, which is doggedly hanging on to the outdated patriarchal ideal of what the city is, being designed for men to work in, and their wives and family to stay in the suburbs, while the workers drive in. As is abundantly clear, towns and cities presently prioritise the car, and the city scape is summarily segmented into districts which embrace the car…cultural district, financial district and so forth, in turn reinforcing the distinction between the prosperous and the poor. Mixing things up, overlaying the spectrum of housing typologies, bringing in offices, workplaces, shops, health care, schools and leisure, wrapped in green spaces and multi-mode transport which prioritises walking and cycling, in turn slowing things down…what’s not to love!?

Radical idea: Cities that provide a high quality of life, without putting pressure on the planet. But radical ideas require a radical approach. And what city dares to take such a risk? Amsterdam. And here’s what we can learn from them. At the height of COVID, Amsterdam’s city government devised a plan to recover from the crisis. The strategy? To embrace “doughnut economics”, a new theory developed by British economist Kate Raworth. The capital looks to bring residents “inside the doughnut”—the sweet spot between a “social foundation” (what people need to live) and an “environmental ceiling” (a cap to ensure sustainability). Over the years, Amsterdam has launched: ∙ True-price initiatives displaying hidden environmental costs ∙ E-waste initiatives, such as the re-use & distribution of computers ∙ Policies for circular use, including a building’s “materials passport” ∙ Doughnut model development projects, like Strandeiland (Beach Island) ∙ Grassroots citizen-led programs, like “Amsterdam Doughnut Coalition” ∙ And more… But the model doesn’t come without criticism. Critics call it “abstract”, claiming it fails to address ideology and political structures that prevent climate action. This isn’t stopping other cities from following suit. Copenhagen, Portland, Austin, and others have ambitions to be next. And mayors around the world are buying into the model. So what do you think? Can we leverage the doughnut framework to innovate and disrupt urban planning in our cities? Will your city be next? Drop a line. #futureofcities #urbandevelopment Full article via TIME linked in the comments.

In the UK, the “15-minute city” has become a taboo – a playground for conspiracy paranoia driven by people’s belief that the concept is a form of another “lockdown” – so what is the point of a 15-minute city? Created by Carlos Moreno, a professor from University of Paris I: Panthéon-Sorbonne. Moreno claims the current design to modern cities is based around outdated “masculine desires” and has led to a segmented unequal city with different districts. The point of a “15-minute city” is to promote equality by creating a mixture of social, affordable, and luxury housing, to allow integration of social strata. A place where schools are close to both workplace and home, where cultural venues, parks and shops are close by – a place for people to reclaim their “useful time” It’s had its backlash in the UK, but do we not already have “15-minute” neighbourhoods within London – Notting Hill? Clapham? Dare I say it… Canary Wharf? Moreno’s book “The 15-Minute City” is released next month https://lnkd.in/eiWcZjRF