The growing shift towards a knowledge and technology economy are fuelling an ‘urban boom’. The growing preference to live in walkable, mixed-use neighbourhoods, where amenities, convenience and sense of community are right on the door step, is redefining the design and culture of our cities today.

For cities to survive, they must be intelligent to respond to the constant change of demands in urban cores and continuously reinvest in pioneering technology and resources. Our approach includes the thoughtful use of big data analytics, innovative infrastructure technologies and policies, and the design of intelligent cities and buildings. Strategies for smart cities require integration of holistic and sustainable design strategies as a foundation. Emphasis on this strategy has multiple benefits for human health and the environment. We believe that smart grids, autonomous vehicles, and design guidelines, such as Envision and the WELL building standard, will play a large part in changing the cities of tomorrow.

Smart grids change the way in which we use electricity, creating a shared network that allows cost-efficient use and distribution of energy. Emerging smart grid solutions have spillover effects that create healthier cities, by the reduction of energy use and reduced CO₂ emissions and pollutants, cleaning the air, and improving the human experience.

Shared autonomous vehicles provide access to those who would otherwise not have access to typical city transit systems, thereby increasing mobility and improving the health of many individuals.

Envision is a holistic framework for planning, evaluating and rating community environmental and economic benefits of projects. It aims to design solutions that embrace sustainability today and in the future. The WELL building standard is the first building standard focused exclusively on human health and wellness. It marries best practices in design and construction with evidence-based medical and scientific research – harnessing the built environment as a vehicle to support human health and wellbeing.

We believe that cities are greater when the sum of their parts are working in unison. This also moves us towards achieving social equity, thus improving the human experience.