Tapping into our Global Studio model of collaborative working, Florian engaged with leaders across our 17 global studios to distil the key elements that drive successful mixed-use urban development. Here are some of the most compelling views of our leaders and experts, most of which Florian shared at Office Property Day: 

A city is a living organism 

Cities are not machines. They should be dynamic, interdependent, and ever adapting.  

The move towards mixed-use neighbourhoods is a return to the origin of the city. As the boundaries between home, work, and leisure continue to blur, an increasing diversity of uses and a radical mix of functions can support vibrant, 24-7 districts capable of catering for every aspect of daily life. 

City officials must encourage around-the-clock activation by focusing on both day and night economies. Creating an 18-hour proposition gives residents a reason to leave their homes and motivation for office workers to stay after hours. 

Furthermore, liveability should be a priority focus. What happens between buildings is just as crucial as their architecture. Modern mixed-use urban development should feature inclusive public realms which are designed with all end users in mind. 

Rigid public realms don’t work 

The rate of change in culture and business is outpacing development. Therefore, successful mixed-use neighbourhoods must be capable of evolving at pace. 

Rather than talking about mixed-use, the aim should be to facilitate hyper-use. In these scenarios, the uses themselves don’t define the culture of a place, but rather the flexibility of how they’re used does. Developers and cities need to think beyond the immediacy of today and focus on how places and spaces can adapt to changing circumstances.  

Instilling character, fed from the continuity of a place’s history, and creating places and buildings which embody this continuation is what outlives the mere response to a current use-mix. 

Create places where people belong 

Every place carries memories; the traces of lives, patterns and meanings layered over time. The best urban regeneration honours these recollections, weaving new moments into the existing fabric rather than replacing it. The most successful places are conceived with empathy for their past socially, physically, and architecturally. 

To impress and capture people using mixed-use neighbourhoods, the first 12 meters are vital. By creating ground plane vibrancy and focusing on permeability, tenant diversity, and urban design, developers can create places that feel as important at their most calm as they do at their most active.  

The lifeblood of the city flows through its networks 

The streets, paths, and urban spaces where movement and encounter occur are the canvas upon which daily life unfolds. Buildings rise and fall, uses shift and fade, but connectivity endures. This geometry of human exchange and structure sustains urban life and allows renewal without rupture. 

Mixed-use neighbourhoods should include a network of spaces that are people-focused and human-scaled. This connectivity should not be limited to transport networks but include social permeability, enabling easy movement and interaction between different groups. 

Later this month, Florian will return to Berlin for The Adaptive City: Regrowth Through Intelligence and Intention, an event organised by international consulting firm Drees & Sommer. The discussion will explore how adaptive reuse and circular design are shaping the next generation of cities and deep dive into flexible mobility networks that respond to evolving human needs, amongst other topics. 

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Lee Lodge
Insights & Communications Manager