In this article, first published by Practical Law, we discuss why, while the impact of the pandemic on the construction industry has been substantial, it also presents an opportunity to reassess, plan and build resilience for the future. Moving to a point where low productivity levels, low predictability and low...

Employers who would like to encourage their workforces to work in the office more frequently are considering creative ways of enticing them back to the office. One solution to consider in attracting hybrid workers back is to shift to smaller, greener premises. What could this trend mean for the future...

The development of smart cities is multi-layered and multidisciplinary, comparable to a huge jigsaw of interlocking, dynamic parts. Artificial intelligence is one of the key technologies which contributes to building these structures, offering insight and optimisation, while smoothing out complexity. Researchers from the UK's Alan Turing Institute (ATI) recently presented...

A smart city is a combination of the physical buildings and infrastructure that make it up, plus the management and operational systems that manage and monitor it. But we define "smart" as more than being connected and digitally enabled. A smart city is also collaborative and sustainable, aiming to deliver...

Three papers were published. This article focuses on the paper on "Shaping Europe's Digital Future ", which sets out the overarching goals of the strategy (and also provides further insight into the Commission's 2020 work programme). In addition, the Commission went into greater detail about two particular areas in the...

Individual buildings can contribute to the digital, sustainable and green 'smartness' of a smart city, but this requires collaboration – indeed, this is a third essential element that drives the smartness of the urban environment. Flexibility in the way the building is constructed and used drives the extent to that...

There are a range of ways in which individual buildings can contribute to the "smartness" – whether digital, sustainable or collaborative – of their wider urban environment and generate benefits for the wider community. Turning this potential into reality in the built environment depends heavily on planning policy and decision-making...

Innovation on a large scale and across a swathe of sectors will be required to accelerate the route to net zero – and it emerged as a common theme throughout the wide-ranging ambitions discussed at COP26. The Science, Innovation and Gender Day focused on three crucial aspects of and initiatives...

The way in which property is bought and sold has been transformed, especially since the Covid-19 pandemic. As we look to the future, proptech will play a central role in driving further transformations. We will see significant changes in how we live in the future over the coming years, much...