How do you imagine the future of cities?
The city of tomorrow will be low-carbon. The housing will be modular and built in bio-sourced materials such as ecological concrete, wood or hemp … The buildings will be hybrid and can easily change functions. Nature will also have more space because the density of constructions will have made it possible to free up space on the ground. City dwellers will find there a real alternative to rurality, but by accepting this high density, which will not necessarily imply overcrowding.
What new services will be offered to city dwellers?
Technological innovations are already appearing in construction methods, equipment, services, architecture … The new digital tools are revolutionizing the uses of the entire chain of actors up to the end user. Innovation is also found in new forms of ownership with solidarity land organizations, usufruct / bare ownership dismemberment, rental-accession or even new modes of financing. As an extension of Carlos Moreno’s work on the quarter-hour city, we also reflect on the relationship of city dwellers to time and well-being: modularity solutions appear to adapt to teleworking, the common areas are transformed into places of life, concierge systems are developing …
How do you fit into this trend?
Our role is to defend both the principles of growth and sobriety, by offering programs that allow housing a growing population while ensuring its future quality of life. Housing must now bring people together in a process of living together in complete safety, which has major repercussions on the production of housing. According to a study conducted by the FPI with the firm Deloitte, young people remain attached to property, especially in new buildings. They seem ready to share spaces and services on condition that they respect their privacy, they want to buy near public transport, but ensuring parking spaces, living in houses, but close to town centers and shops. .. The complexity of the answers encourages us to go beyond our representations and to stay tuned!
How to make this city of tomorrow a reality today?
The dream city will only have meaning if it is accessible to as many people as possible: it therefore becomes a political issue for elected officials. Faced with the legitimate demands of city dwellers, they must demonstrate creativity and a forward-looking vision. This city of the future is complex: all intelligence will be needed to bring it out of the earth. We are at their side to define the balance between political ambition and the capacity to build at controlled costs. Today, elected officials, residents and developers must overcome mistrust, listen to each other and join forces to jointly build the city of tomorrow.
