3 urban planning trends that are changing how our cities will look in the future

The Greek philosopher Heraclitus said: “the only constant in life is change.” Nowhere is that more evident than in our cities. Pick just about any city, and it will seem both familiar and new at the same time. And not just major cities like New York or Chicago. Change is happening in cities big and small, urban and suburban. And it reaches beyond the recent expansions of mixed-use developments in formally monolithic areas like office parks and shopping centers. It involves fundamental shifts based on strategic or philosophical principles on “how” and “why” we develop. Three strategies stand out as key trends in urban development: Innovation Districts, Blue Zones, and EcoDistricts.