City in balance: why office developments need a wider urban frame
How cities are planned and governed will have a major influence on whether new urban workplaces thrive or fail, says city expert Professor Ricky Burdett of the London School of Economics
Investors, developers and designers making plans for new urban workplaces should consider the wider considerations of the ‘city in balance’ if they want to create thriving office developments, according to Ricky Burdett, Professor of Urban Studies at the London School of Economics.
Speaking to WORKTECH Academy as part of an online briefing for our Q1 2025 Trend Report on ‘Eight World Cities Shaping the Future of Work’, Burdett – one of the world’s leading authorities on the future of cities – spelled out the big challenges that require a balanced approach.
Planning and governance of cities, he said, need to be linked to the key social issues of the day, such as social equity, democracy, inclusion and climate breakdown. And office developers should view the city as a complex, multi-layered urban system in which workplace experience extends to land use, availability of housing and ease of commuting.
Different priorities
Different cities have different planning priorities, explained Professor Burdett, depending on where they are located. Fast-growing cities in Latin America or Africa, for example, will prioritise giving people basic shelter and support over meeting net zero targets. Shrinking cities, as seen in the American rust belt or in Eastern Europe, will be tasked with managing decline and propping up an ageing population.
One consideration that unites cities around the world is climate change. ‘Urban centres are experiencing temperatures they’ve never faced before,’ said Professor Burdett. Barcelona, for example, plans to introduce shading structures for play areas this summer.
Extreme weather makes planning for or retrofitting for net zero cities more important than ever. The number one target for city planners should be reducing car use in urban areas. Paris has been showing the way in this respect with 9% of journeys now made by car, a significant reduction. London has also been making climate gains with its ULEZ (Ultra Low Emissions Zone) expansion.
High density cities
Another consideration is the level of urban density – Professor Burdett favours high density cities which breed tolerance and cooperation over ‘sprawling cities which are a disaster environmentally and entrench social divisions between rich and poor areas.’
When questioned on how London has managed to stay ahead as a global powerhouse, Ricky Burdett explained how London is adept at making the best of its assets and at leveraging both scale and heritage. However, a lack of affordable housing and the rise of social inequalities pose a threat to London’s future workforce. Professor Burdett pointed to Singapore as a city doing much more to provide public housing and social equity. Both London and Singapore are discussed in WORKTECH Academy’s Trend Report. This can be accessed in our Innovation Zone, which provides premium content and research exclusively for Academy members and partners. Join WORKTECH Academy here.
LSE Cities programme
Professor Ricky Burdett is director of the LSE Cities programme. This explores urban society and urban change, connecting city planning and infrastructure to pressing social challenges. This programme offers a platform to engage further with city development through study on an Executive MSC in Cities.
Watch an interview with Professor Ricky Burdett in this Trend Briefing video.
