The constant disruption around us is changing us too

One more year will take its last breath soon. It started with the wrong note in Ukraine. The cacophony of war just refuses to cease. Then came the economic meltdown in our neighbouring island nation. In the Big Apple, a knife proved mightier than the pen. Mother nature kept us occupied with her mood swings. Gymnasiums became mortuaries. A singer left the stage heart broken. The Queen bid adieu. But all’s well that ends well with the beautiful game on display. The Cup is half filled as the year is running its last lap.

The good news is that we survived. Relatively, the year was gentle with us mortals. It gave us hope to keep the faith. A welcome breather from the turbulence experienced earlier. Gratitude is the overwhelming emotion we carry as the year ends.

Fortunately, the Indian economy grew steadily despite the ongoing inflationary climate and geopolitical flashpoints. We are slowly but surely finding our groove again. All the economic indices today tell us that tomorrow is going to be better. Our GDP growth rate even after correction is just behind Iraq this year. Celebrations in all forms are back. We are poised for undeniable growth. The construction industry also did well, buoyed by the rekindled demand in residential, retail, manufacturing, healthcare and hospitality sectors. The next phase of growth is expected to be a shift towards smaller cities as infrastructure develops and personal mobility of the population increases.

The great resignation is still on. People are comfortable letting go of jobs they feel is a compromise. Recruiting and retaining talent is an uphill task. Flex jobs are on the rise and will dominate the market by the end of this decade. Moonlighting with legal bindings is just around the corner. Rigid employers will find it difficult to survive. KPI has new meanings today.

The nature of work is changing, so is the workplace. The purpose of an office is no longer to keep a group of people in a finite space for a fixed duration. The workspace today is evolving to become more democratic, more flexible and more hospitable. Human interaction is still a necessity, and how we design spaces to enhance the same will be the key to future workplaces. Work and wellness need to go hand in hand. Hybrid is definitely the word of the year.

The constant disruption around us is changing us too. AI is slowly but surely making inroads in our lives. Priorities are recalibrated. Opinions are not open for discussion. Hustle is the new millennial vibe. So, how do we flourish in such turbulent times? How do we embrace this constant uncertainty? So many questions and so few answers.

The silver lining is humans can and will adapt to the changing environment. As planners, as engineers and as policy makers, we have to find our true north star. Design remains a strong tool to usher in change. Environment, society and governance are the fulcrums of future development. Every masterplan, every city, every building we build tomorrow must be human centric, sustainable and inclusive. Designing them accordingly should happen by default and not due to accreditations and ratings requirements. To walk this talk, every one of us needs to contribute to the best of our ability. The next year and the years after that are going to be crucial for us to reign in climate change. It is an uphill and difficult task in a fragmented world. So, while our heads of nations try their best to arrive at a consensus, we can start a conversation with our stakeholders on ESG. As it is said, “The best way to predict the future is to create it”.

(The author is Managing Director, Colliers India)