Cities are home to 3.5 billion people, half of humanity, and this figure is projected to rise to 5 billion by 2030, with 90 percent of this increase expected to be in Asia and Africa. A new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) highlights their mutual commitment to collaborate in support of the innovation required to achieve the New Urban Agenda and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
- In Romania, the Urban population grew from 34% in 1960 to 55% in 2016. Considering that this trend is expected to continue growing, cities need to adapt. (Department of Sustainable Development – Government of Romania)
- By the end of 2020 over 1 billion people, or 15% of the world population, will live in 5G coverage areas. 5G subscriptions are forecast to reach 3.5 billion in 2026. (Ericsson Mobility Report – Nov 2020)
- The global construction market output is forecast to grow to $15.5tn by 2030, an 85% increase from 2019. Cities consume 75% of the world’s natural resources and account for 80% of global greenhouse gas emissions. In the US, the cost of sprawl is estimated to be $1tn per annum. (RICS – The futures report 2020)
- COVID-19 has put into question the appeal of highly dense, large, open-plan offices. In China, the return-to-office rate varies across cities, with many corporates implementing de-densification protocols either through split teams, increased homeworking, light-touch space redesign or, in some cases, the acquisition of short-term (flex) space. On average, companies globally indicate that they are looking to avoid exceeding occupancy levels of 50% in major cities until a vaccine is successfully implemented or local guidelines are relaxed. Change in office density, 2010-2019: -13% in US, -8% in EMEA, -9.5% in Asia Pacific. (The future of global office demand – JLL, June 2020)
- Global shipment rates for laptop computers have outpaced desktops by more than 50% for at least a decade, according to International Data Corporation. Additionally, tablets have become the preferred personal device, with 2018 sales up by more than 600% from 2010— illustrating the highly mobile culture that has developed over the past decade. And of course, smartphones and ever-increasing network speeds have created the always-plugged-in state of people. (CBRE, Global Outlook 2030, The Age of Responsive Real Estate)
- By 2030, CBRE projects the top 10 global e-commerce markets combined will account for 43% of total retail sales. It’s been 15 years since Amazon unveiled Prime, a first-of-its kind subscription service that originally offered free, two-day delivery. Today, 101 million people are Amazon Prime members, according to recent research, which means nearly a third of all American households now have access to a staggering 10 million products and counting with what is now a one-day delivery model. And that’s just from one online retailer—the world has been blanketed by ultra-fast delivery of goods (some within mere hours) from a handful of other giants such as Walmart, Alibaba, JD.com, Rakuten and others. (CBRE, Global Outlook 2030, The Age of Responsive Real Estate)
- Universal connectivity to bring 3.7 billion people online. The newly-launched Measuring Digital Development: Facts and figures 2020 report estimates that 51 percent of the world population, or 4 billion people, were online in 2019. Twice per year, ITU statisticians collect data on telecommunication and ICT infrastructure, access, and use for about 200 economies. (ITU Publications, Measuring Digital Development Facts and Figures 2020)
- Published in an exclusive, investment destination – oriented, market tour: “Bucharest – the skyline transformation by 2025” – Read: here
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