Cityscapes of the Future: The Vision and Change for Property Maintenance
Darren Waitson
We help property managers achieve three important outcomes. Compliant buildings, well presented properties and reduced costs. If you'd like to know more, please contact me.
From Manchester to London, our cityscapes have changed dramatically over the years. Looking even five years back in any city, you will see just how much the scenery has grown. Everything from our resources to the way we construct property had completely changed - after all, environmental and economic factors have made a tremendous impact.
These factors are changing our scenery and are affecting every property related industry, including property maintenance. Will our cityscapes look similar in the next 50-100 years time? If so, how is it likely to change property management and maintenance?
New Materials/Sources
The changes we are seeing in environment and economy means the way we construct property is completely different. Over the last couple of years, I've seen buildings made of hemp-concrete, bamboo-concrete, cob, metal, and don't forget 3D Printed materials. There is amazing innovation happening in the industry in 2018 and no doubt it will continue to grow beyond this year and next.
According to the September 2018 Building Materials and Components Statistics, plenty of materials have actually decreased. The use of sand and gravel has decreased a significant amount if we look back from 2002. Since 2006, the use of concrete has decreased too, alongside the use of bricks.
We are seeing new materials promising easier, cleaner and much more sustainable construction. Science and tech continue to break the boundaries within property. There is now even such thing as self-healing materials. We are beginning to rethink our choice of materials for construction and it is changing the shapes and forms of building structures.
Are we to see a cityscape or a mixture of traditionally built blocks and newly innovative property? The evidence seems to be there.
Changing Communities
Even over the last 10-20 years, the types of communities we are seeing have advanced. The way that people are wanting to live has changed. This is due to a shift in financial, economic and environmental concerns. People are opting to live in flats together with friends to save money or are even choosing live-in jobs such as carers etc. younger people are opting for new build houses or fresher blocks of flats.
Modern communities are different, however, a ‘community-feel’ is still a much-wanted aspect in any neighbourhood, estate or block. It's less about the physical space, but the atmosphere of the space and the feel it projects.
In a lot of ways, community these days are less about where we live, but more about the things in our lives and the surroundings. This includes safety factors, teams, local schools etc and of course the sense of identity that comes with it.
The UK is experiencing a huge series of changes when it comes to community. We are longing for a closer knit community, more projects, an overall feeling of togetherness and family. We also have to take note that there seem to be more people than ever in our spaces, hence why there always seems to be a crane and a new building being erected. Is this due to political reasons or because our modern economy demands it?
Climate Change/Environment
Urban spaces are already preparing for a change in climate. In fact, the UK’s cities have a crucial role to play if we want to change our outlook on emissions and how our building skylines affect this.
In England, over 80% of people live in urban areas. After all, these areas are vital for business, transport links, jobs and culture. However, when we take into consideration, greenhouse gas emissions, impacts of climate change, higher average temperatures, increased flooding, more extreme weather and increased population, the pressure to create green spaces is high.
The UK Climate Change Risk Assessment Evidence Report from 2016 identified that the most urgent risks to UK cities are flooding, heat and extreme weather impacts on infrastructure. In some areas of the UK, there is also a high risk of water demand exceeding supply by 2030.
Flooding - With flooding issues from more traditional developments, newer developments are now seeing from ‘green Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SuDS) which bring various benefits and can be adapted to cope with future changes. In the majority of new developments, SuDS are being implemented.
Heating- Over 2,000 heat-related deaths occur every year in the UK, and this number is expected to rise to 7,000 by 2050. Despite this growing risk, there is still no policy in place to limit the well-being impact in buildings. Urban green spaces such as forests and parks can help to reduce the heat and increase resilience to climate change as well as many other health benefits to residents.
When it comes to climate and environmental impacts on property, the good news is that our cities are well-placed to face these problems. Combining partnerships with local authorities and businesses, cities can take a lead on reducing their emissions. We all need to think a little greener for a better future.
We need to think about sustainable transport, water efficiency, energy efficiency and low-carbon outcomes. Every action makes a difference.
Taking into consideration these factors, what do you think the future of our skylines is? What will they be made of? Who will be occupying them? Will the environment change the structures? How many people will be in the building? Will it be community-based? All these are the top questions to ask moving forward in the property maintenance and management industry.
What do you think our UK future cityscapes will look like?
I am Darren Waitson, CEO & Founder at Nirvana Maintenance, experts in property maintenance including fire defence and electrical maintenance
Resources:
https://www.theccc.org.uk/2018/01/04/uk-cities-climate-change/