OPINION: UP until now, two great choices have determined our prospects in life. The first is what to do. For most of human existence this was pretty clearly defined, you hunted and gathered. More recently humans farmed, mined, and manufactured.
The second is who to marry. Children, income, happiness – so many aspects of life are determined by that decision.
Today there is a third choice which, in time, may well eclipse the importance of the other two and that choice is where to live. In the past we had little or no choice in this regard. Today the constraints are falling rapidly. Not only can we physically move places with relative ease, we can be digitally transported. In a world where humans increasingly use their brains to make a living, they can, and will, move anywhere, anytime. This, in turn, poses many threats and opportunities for the built environment.
There are three big moves through a life cycle:
1) The young and the restless – (A) graduates and (B) young professionals
2) Married with children – (C) families
3) When the kids are gone – (D) empty nesters and (E) retirees.
How many of each of these groups exist in a neighbourhood, a suburb, a municipality, a city?
Understanding what is important to each of these groups helps us design and integrate communities.
What is important to each group at each stage of their life cycle?
Group (A) are interested in restaurants, bars, arts and cultural activities whilst (B) is also interested but has moved on to commute times, wages growth and household formation. The issues uppermost to group (C) are schools and safety as well as commute times. Things of growing importance to group (D) are arts, culture and recreation such as tennis, golf, etc whilst group (E) become more concerned with safety, weather and health care.
The specific costs of life in this community/suburb/municipality/city that are important to each of these groups can generally be defined as:
(A) rent;
(B) house prices;
(C) and (D) cost of living; and
(E) health costs.
In creating, curating and building our cities we should, if we want to be successful, be mindful of life’s great choices, the life cycle of people and the issues that are important to them. At their heart the community/suburb/municipality/city are human environments.
We can look at so many of our communities and see where they are deficient – schools, hospitals, proximity to a workplace, catering for families, catering for the elderly. To create real value from our built environment (by making them attractive – possibly awesome) we should put people first.
RETAIL/OFFICE: Get closer to people, integrate more with their lives. Make space more relevant to a person’s day – opening hours, range of offer, access, etc
By Tony Crabb, national director research, Cushman & Wakefield.*
Property Reviewer on Australian Property Journal
