We have long known that our physical and social environment impacts our overall health—from pollution, air and water quality, to our working conditions and access to housing. As the industry met demand for environmental standards with the LEED green building standard in the late 90’s, companies ahead of the curve have continued the progress, introducing the WELL building certification, a framework to evaluate the impacts of the built environment on wellbeing. Is the future of offices, hospitality, public spaces—and even homes—wellness-SMART? How can we integrate wellbeing into policy and design processes long-term?

Population growth, mass migration, climate change, a global pandemic, and a civil rights movement have pushed cities around the world to rethink how they can provide more accessible, affordable, and safe housing. What policies and programs do cities need to ensure a better housing match for contemporary lifestyles? How can we use new approaches to create affordable housing at scale, boost mixed income neighborhoods throughout cities, and build more equitable communities? 

This issue is an extension of our trademark housing event, New Housing Solutions.

As the Millennial generation comes of age, their preferences, which tend to diverge from those of their baby boomer parents, present cities with an opportunity to fundamentally rethink urban and suburban life. In this issue, we will explore how policymakers, developers, and more are placing bets and working feverishly to retain or attract aging Millennials and their potential to transform communities. We examine their urban preferences, and ask how cities can leverage their lifestyles to invest in more sustainable suburban regeneration and boldly reimagine what cities and suburbs could be in the future. Where will the misunderstood generation move and why?

Whether you call it COVID-19, Coronavirus, or the Corona Outbreak, the unfolding pandemic has become impossible to ignore, no matter where you live. The global crisis bringing cities to a standstill is striking at the heart of public life and calling into question many of our fundamental assumptions of urban living. We are watching the pandemic’s effects on mobility, public space, community, and “social distancing” in real-time. While it is challenging to cut through people’s fears at this early stage, it is crucial to reflect on the impacts this crisis will have on urban life-as-a-we-know-it, the weaknesses of our governance, healthcare, and infrastructure systems, and the likely aftermath and what we can learn from it.

An inconvenient truth underlying efforts to help cities adapt to climate change is that not every risk can be mitigated, and not every floodplain can be made resilient. Governments and communities will not only need to make difficult decisions about what and where to reinforce and fortify, but also where to direct growth away from steadily increasing risks toward more naturally resilient regions.

In this issue, we’ll hear from cities and regions preparing to receive an impending generation of climate migrants, and envision what new, more resilient and equitable districts on higher ground might look like.