• Urban Technology Framework snapshots how technology is transforming cities
• 12 key trends changing cities and some of the issues these create
• Developers and architects can use the framework to deliver better outcomes

ULI UK has launched an Urban Technology Framework to help cities advance into the next generation.

The Urban Technology Framework has identified 12 current trends that will shape metropolitan hubs. This in turn, will help developers and architects who are responsible for delivering future cities.

Key tech trends include 3D printing transforming the way we build, and the Internet of Things (IoT) progressing smart buildings from stationary structures to machines. Digitalisation will transform business models, causing the existing sharing economy to extend even further: with people sharing houses, cars and clothes.

The framework sets out the trends into three themes – digital technologies, urban land factors and business models – that will further transform our cities. These must be considered in every plan for the future, and how they will affect communities, institutions, buildings and the public realm.

Digital technologies will transform the way we interact with and in cities. Current technologies have enabled our communities to no longer be limited to locality, as small and fluid tribes are increasingly defined by digital and physical worlds. Further technologies, from increased connectivity through IoT to smart machines and driverless cars, will likely have as significant an impact.

Urban land factors create the context that digital technologies need to work in. These factors can be people, organisations, scale of development and stage of design. Property developers and architects have the opportunity to integrate technologies in design to respond to changes in the way people work or travel.

Finally, digital organising and business models will use technologies to deliver services in urban centres. Cities of the future will enjoy digital retail, a focus on customer experience, and an expansion of the sharing-economy.

Property developers and architects will have to consider the trends in transformational change facing cities and people’s living experience. The Urban Technology Framework can act as a guide in this urban transformation process.

The Urban Technology Framework is an initiative of the ULI UK Tech Forum, co-chaired by Adam Burstow, a Group Digital & IT Director at Grosvenor Group and Ed Parham, an Associate at Space Syntax. Lauren Poon, associate at CallisonRTK, is acting as its vice chair.

Adam Burstow, Co-Chair of the ULI UK Tech Forum, said:

“The ULI UK Urban Technology Framework illustrates how technology intersects with our urban areas and aims to provide a platform to understand how we shape our cities. From economic opportunities to social benefits, there are ever increasing possibilities for tech advancements and with our framework, urban professionals can better understand how digital technologies could improve our cities and create value for the people that are part of them.”

Ed Parham, Co-Chair of the ULI UK Tech Forum said:

“The current wave of Urban Technologies have the potential to create change across the urban context, bringing both new challenges and opportunities to deliver wider social benefit. To take advantage of these opportunities, the urban land community needs to develop strategies that shape technology development, adoption and working practices. Our Urban Technology Framework aims to inform these discussions and support the sustainable cities of the future.”

About ULI:

The Urban Land Institute is a non-profit education and research institute supported by its members. Its mission is to provide leadership in the responsible use of land and in creating and sustaining thriving communities worldwide. Established in 1936, the institute has more than 40,000 members worldwide representing all aspects of land use and development disciplines.

ULI has been active in Europe since the early 1990s and today we have over 4,000 members across 27 different countries. The UK National Council is the largest in Europe with over 1,100 members and has a dynamic programme of events and thought leadership. For more information, please visit uk.uli.org.

The ULI Tech Forum brings city, real estate, technology and innovation professionals together to share knowledge, best practice and creative thinking to enable truly innovative solutions to be applied to our urban environment.

Notes to editors:

The 12 trends in the Urban Technology Framework are Digital Twins, tribalisation, share & share alike, smart cities, builders assemble, smart buildings, digital retail, future of work, digital manufacturing, what a wonderful day, mobility as a service and smart machines