Urban Land Institute has released a framework that outlines how digital advancements are shaping future urban development.
The framework names 12 key digital trends that are already changing urban development, such as digital retail, smart buildings powered by the IoT, 3D printers, and driverless cars. Each trend presents a balance of risks and opportunities for people and cities, which grows as cities become more populated. Urban land developers have the opportunities to shape this balance.
The framework also outlines three factors that are driving the patterns of digital change in cities: digital technologies, urban land factors, and digital organizing and business models.
Digital technology has evolved in a series of waves, dating back to 1990. Wave 1 saw the emergence of PCs, the Internet, and eCommerce — ending in 2010. Wave 2 spans from 2005 to 2020 and includes social media, smartphones, big data and cloud computing. The third wave, 201
