When it comes to addressing the problems of modern urban life, cities are often at the forefront of innovation. With smart technology and creative and effective planning techniques, urban planners are changing the way that people live, work, and play.

Whether its incorporating more environmentally-friendly aspects into a city building to help reduce waste, improve efficiency, and cut costs or just creating systems and amenities that make it easier for individuals to commute and relax, businesses are creating more livable and sustainable communities across the globe through innovative urban buildings.

Below, I will talk more about what the future of urban buildings looks like and explore some of the ways that building designers are incorporating new ideas and technologies to create more efficient and convenient building spaces.

The Future Of Urban Buildings

When it comes to the future of urban planning, city building designers and developers are on the front lines of innovation. As more and more people move into urban areas, commercial building owners need to consider how they can plan their spaces to be more livable, convenient, and efficient. One of the greatest considerations for building designers when creating plans for modern urban spaces is efficiency.

As the world’s population continues to grow, sustainability has become a major concern for cities, and buildings must do their part to minimize their negative impact on the environment. Zero-net-energy buildings are becoming increasingly more popular and commonplace in today’s commercial real estate industry. These building projects are pushing the envelope when it comes to innovative construction, with the result being a commercial building that is able to produce enough renewable energy to meet its own energy consumption requirements each year. This type of design not only produces a greener building, but it can also help building owners and managers reduce costs throughout the year by using energy more efficiently.

Another interesting initiative that is helping make cities more livable is reclaiming neglected spaces. One great example of this is the city of Berlin, which is filled with deserted industrial buildings and other spaces that once housed businesses and organizations. Instead of allowing these buildings to remain unused and neglected, business owners in Berlin are renovating some of these places in order to give them new life.

Old industrial buildings are now turning into nightclubs, shops, and art galleries. There are even state-sponsored initiatives to repurpose neglected spaces, such as Berlin’s reclamation of the city’s Tempelhof Airport, which has been transformed into a free park with work and event space inside.

Creating A Smarter Commute

One of the greatest downsides of living in the city is the daily commute, especially for cities that are still working out issues with their public transit. Perhaps one of the greatest ways that urban building owners are creating more sustainable and livable spaces is by helping people cut down on their daily commute through ride sharing services.

Moda Living, a British property developer, plans to build apartment complexes throughout the United Kingdom that offer very few or no parking spaces. Tenants who do not take a parking space will receive a credit each month to spend on Uber rides. By limiting the number of parking spaces and offering free ride sharing services, Moda Living is promoting a more sustainable city space while freeing up room within their buildings for other premium amenities such as gyms or swimming pools.

Building owners and managers aren’t the only ones trying to reduce congestion on the roads and parking lots through ride sharing. The suburban town of Summit, New Jersey is piloting a new commuter program in partnership with Uber. The city plans to subsidize rides for commuters who are struggling to find parking in the New Jersey Transit station in Summit. Not only will this be more convenient for commuters, but it will free up almost 100 parking spots at the transit station while saving the city millions of dollars that they no longer have to spend on building additional parking structures.

Making Buildings More Connected

Smart technology, powered by the Internet of Things, is making it easier for developers to create spaces that are more sustainable, safe, and convenient for occupants. Apartment complexes like 1415 @ The Yard, found in downtown Omaha, have integrated smart home technology systems into their apartments during construction. When renters move in, they are able to immediately sync up to the smart home system via their smartphone. This provides them access to control and manage their smart lighting, outlets, thermostat, voice control, locks, and other connected systems.

Building amenities such as these are not only convenient but they can also help tenants live more efficiently and save money on monthly living expenses, especially energy costs.

In addition to green building initiatives, building designers and planners are also using technology to make buildings more efficient. Using devices equipped with sensors, building owners and managers can manage larger commercial buildings remotely.

Building automation and facility management allows building owners and managers to monitor and adjust different aspects of building such as lighting or the HVAC system. Rather than running these systems manually, the building operators can set them to adjust to daily usage patterns. This helps companies save money on energy costs by maintaining efficiency.

IoT-enabled technology can also help businesses and building owners improve safety and reduce property loss. Smart buildings are equipped with sensors that keep building managers connected to what’s happening within and around the building at all times while also allowing them to remotely manage security features such as lighting, locks, and alarm systems. For instance, using motion detecting sensors, building managers can see when unauthorized individuals are trying to gain access to a building.

Similarly, there are sensors that can detect different aspects of the building’s condition such as moisture, temperature, humidity, and fire, which can help businesses reduce asset loss while keeping the infrastructure safe.

Final Takeaways

Overall, it has become clear that the traditional models for city spaces and buildings are no longer able to meet the needs of growing urban populations.

As more and more people continue to make the city their home, there is a need for more sustainable spaces that make living, working, and commuting more comfortable and affordable. If commercial real estate owners and building managers want to remain competitive in the contemporary marketplace, they will need to rethink the way they use space within their building and plan and design common areas.

The examples above show that building designers are already starting to transform the way that buildings use and conserve energy while providing a range of premium sustainable amenities like ride-sharing and connected home systems and devices. Through innovative city building planning, commercial real estate owners, developers, and managers can create safer communities with more convenient and efficient spaces.