BUILT ENVIRONMENT
PANDEMIC AND ONLINE SHOPPING SPARK URBAN PLANNING REVOLUTION
In an online shopping age , how can towns and cities retain their pulling power – and should technology be viewed less as a threat and more a key to future success ?
WRITTEN BY : DOMINIC ELLIS
Depending on your outlook , these are terrifying or exciting times for towns and cities globally . Many are being forced to re-evaluate their services and profiles amid the work-from-home and buyfrom-home revolution that has swept every continent during the pandemic .
If you draw on history , such as the UK ’ s new town boom after the second world war , the next period could spark untold construction and infrastructure opportunities , especially as the ‘ reset ’ coincides with a renewed emphasis on sustainable development . With 68 % of the global population expected to live in cities by 2050 , according to the UN , don ’ t write cities off just yet .
But much remains uncertain . A year on from the teeth of the crisis , no one knows whether commuters and business travel will return in droves and if towns and cities will be able to reposition themselves . What
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