Places.

Evolving the built environment puts us at a unique intersection. We span technology, economics, local and global regulation, environmentalism, and the health and wellbeing of society. We craft the stage where lives – billions of them – play out every day.

The privilege, magnitude, complexity, and responsibility of this role can sometimes feel daunting. With every innovation, every development in how we work, and each impactful project, the need for more, better, newer seems to follow. The world feels fast, vast, and often out of control. Despite the pioneering developments they may feature, when projects take years to come to fruition, it can feel as though there’s always more that could be done.

So how do we combat that overwhelming feeling? How do we even begin to make changes that keep pace?

We explore.

Recently we’ve been thinking a lot about community – the theme of this issue – and within these pages we’ve delved into the rise of the chicken shop, that enigmatic third space the kids love so much. Why is that, exactly? If we want to design places that young people actually use, we need to know. That means saying goodbye to guesswork, or sanitising youth space into something adults are comfortable with; instead, letting the target cohort themselves tell us what and where to build.

Speaking of thriving social spaces, the leaps forward in cohousing for older people have really piqued our interest. Traditional retirement living is not for everyone, especially a generation accustomed to shaping its own future, and a growing movement is redefining later life through innovative community-led models.

Later, we talk to a man who went from building LEGO cities, garden dens and questionable structures made from abandoned scaffolding, to building houses, hospitals and an incredibly well-subscribed YouTube channel. Fred Mills, fresh from Sunday Times bestseller success, shares wisdom and megabuild marvels.

Elsewhere, as the government rolls out its neighbourhood health centres – a major part of the NHS shift towards providing more care in the community – we test national ambition against the reality of local need. Without further ado...

Cover illustration: Bulma Vilmante Juozaityte

Talkin’ ’bout a revolution.

Bridport Cohousing

Comprising 53 sustainable, affordable, mixed-tenure homes in Dorset, this is the UK’s biggest cohousing neighbourhood; and an exemplar of a growing movement. As loneliness and wellbeing climb the agenda, retirement cohousing is emerging as a disruptive force in later living, proving that ageing in place does not have to mean ageing alone. These models offer an alternative to conventional retirement communities through resident-led design, shared spaces and a built-in sense of belonging. See also p8, on the rise of the retirement riot grrl.

Photo: Rebecca Noakes

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Exploare.

The future belongs to the curious.

Challenge accepted.

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