22025_The Future of UK Housing Supply_v2

F U T U R E O F C I T I E S

By plotting a grid formed from our critical uncertainties, we define four strawman scenarios for the city of 2040, which we outline below.

• Virtual reality, overlaying data & visuals onto the real world, AR • VR/AR was mainly for gaming at first, now it’s in the workplace too • IoT, 10g network have become vital • Explosive mix of social connections & new reality – Metaverse, Social media • Tech has amplified human connections, not reduced them

• Remote society • People leaving cities • Life has continued as it was during Covid • Higher virtualisation, lower urbanisation – a ‘digital medium’ • Hybrid working via Zoom, Metaverse … • Focus on time saving and convenience – effects of the pandemic are here to stay • Physical interactions are now more purposeful Humans chose to group together & benefit • The best cities are dense and diverse magnets • Cities remain pretty similar and unaltered • WFH has been rejected

This is the least likely scenario – reversal of urban development • Low urbanisation, low virtualisation • Lost confidence in cities • Society rejects tech and the economy has slowed down • Nature and sustainability at the forefront • People interact in smaller groups which are more personal • There is a risk to property

H O V E R E A C H P A N E L F I N D O U T M O R E

4 The Future of UK Housing Supply |