The ongoing health, human, and economic impacts of the pandemic have forever changed how we design our environments — from creating places that enrich our communities in times of health, to spaces that shift their focus in times of crisis. A handful of industries disproportionately impact human health, and they are all in a period of profound transformation. Now more than ever, these industries — Healthcare, Sciences, Senior Living, and Wellness — are hungry for new ideas and an understanding of how they can play out in the physical and digital realms. The best solutions are the ones that improve access to care, ignite discovery, and reshape our cities to address a renewed focus on global health and wellness.

The pandemic has triggered a massive shift in global work patterns. We’ve learned new behaviors, adopted new technologies, and adjusted to new ways of working. We’ve also come to a deeper understanding of the fundamental role of place in how we work, especially how we work together. Organizations around the world are rethinking the future of the workplace based on experiences and learnings from the past year, with a particular focus on the well-being and connectivity of their teams. Collectively, we are reimagining the future of work on a global scale, with the physical office continuing to play a central role in creating more connected, equitable experiences that benefit people, organizations, and their surrounding communities.

The world is experiencing a reset unlike anything anyone has ever seen. The landscapes for retail stores, hotels, restaurants, sports venues, and entertainment centers are evolving quickly. Thankfully, we have clarity around one thing: People are craving meaningful, authentic connections, and we will never again take the value of social interaction for granted. The Lifestyle sector is poised to answer the call by creating spaces that bring people together, enhancing each and every experience with a human-centric vision.

The pandemic, inequality, and the climate crisis have challenged us to redefine the urban experience of our cities and rethink them through the lens of human experience. Cities have expanded the public realm, creating walkable, safe places. More streets have been given back to people-first activities, and we are rethinking the built environment to ensure our spaces are open for anyone to use. The focus now is to create urban environments, community institutions, and infrastructure that are more resilient, equitable, and responsive to people’s needs as we emerge from a global health crisis.