Where Urban Design Is Headed in 2024

A design forecast from building firm Gensler highlights potential trends that will drive the development sector in 2024. Ryan Haines and Kristin Jensen describe the forecast in the Daily Journal of Commerce.

One emerging trend is the push for adaptive reuse, particularly as office vacancies remain high and developers look to other ways to repurpose buildings. Governments around the country are incentivizing the conversion and retrofitting of older buildings.

The forecast also asserts that sustainable design has become “non-negotiable,” noting that “Higher standards for products and materials, the adaptive reuse of existing buildings, net zero energy strategies, and regenerative design principles will define our sustainable future.”

Other likely trends include a diminishing focus on return-to-office metrics, a growing focus on the design and architecture needs of older people, a shift to mixed-use districts as an approach to revitalization. “Planners are reimagining downtowns to respond to the evolving and varied needs of those living there, starting with public safety, and focusing on uses that provide activity beyond the workday.”