City development

Embracing a new vibrancy

Mixed use is today’s magic formula for redeveloping empty department stores and poorly performing shopping centres. But every location has specific needs, and simplistic solutions will fail. By Petra Nickisch-Kohnke

Surprisingly resilient

Everybody’s darling is now everybody’s challenge. Since the start of the pandemic, hotel operators, their banks and lessors have been working together to lead the asset class out of the crisis. By Maria Pütz-Willems

A strong island location

Although the full impact of Brexit may not yet have completely played out in UK real estate markets, prime London offices look to remain a safe bet. By Isobel Lee

Skybridges

Soaring and dramatic, skyscrapers are landmark structures in major cities worldwide and allow vertical densification of urban areas. But in terms of urban mobility, high-rise buildings represent impractical cul-de-sacs, hence the appeal of skybridges. By Elke Hildebrandt

The mixologists

Creating successful modern mixed-use schemes requires a deeper understanding than ever of urban trends, although some key mixology skills are already in landlords’ toolkits. By Isobel Lee

Smart city opportunities

The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic is likely to accelerate the trend towards smart cities, bringing new opportunities for real estate investors, but also greater uncertainty. One way to future-proof investments is by investing in energy and data networks and the digital platforms that will underpin innovation. By Karel Beckman