Designing for the Future: Generation… ‘Next’!

Designing for the Future: Generation… ‘Next’!

In Aurecon’s latest Just Imagine blog post, Ross Donnelly, Senior Civil Engineer, argue that as baby boomers retire in the next decade, millennials are going to have to step up, speak up and lead the urban planning charge to shape the cities of the future that next generations will want and need.

Blog excerpt:
There’s nothing that screams ‘millennial’ quite like a selfie. But then again, there’s nothing that hasn’t screamed ‘millennial’ for the past two decades. Along with their tattoos, hipster vibes, smashed avo, Birkenstock loyalties and other clichéd affectations, millennials (those born 1982-1993) have captured the attention of popular culture like no other generation in history. This global tribe of digital optimists, now almost 2.5 billion-strong, has influenced every sphere of society and called the workforce to a new standard of engagement and management.

And now, as baby boomers (born between 1944 and 1964) look to retire over the next decade, millennials will be stepping up and leading the urban planning charge alongside their Generation X (1965-1979) counterparts. However, if millennials want a better environment, they will need to mobilise, pushing away any apathy for progress, and agitate for change just as their highly passionate Gen Z (1994-2010) counterparts have made a name for themselves in doing. With Gen Z nicknamed ‘the Harry Potter generation’ thanks to their propensity for social revolution, millennials will need to forge their own path for transformation.

Together, millennials and Gen Z comprise roughly 32% of the global population. But, are the decision-makers in government, planning and policy connected enough to the next generation of voters and workers (and courageous enough to see beyond the current voters’ wants) to shape cities of the future that the next generations will want and need? With the drastic shift these new generations will trigger, how will our cities that have been built and designed by previous generations, cope?
This article was first published Aurecon’s Just Imagine blog. Just Imagine provides a glimpse into the future for curious readers, exploring ideas that are probable, possible and for the imagination. Subscribe here to get access to the latest blog posts as soon as they are published.

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