Benjamin Pradel, who is a sociologist and urban planner, has conducted university research on temporality and mobility. He is also the co-founder of Intermède, an organisation that specialises in the temporary occupation of empty buildings, and a consultant for Kaléido’scop.

Cities are having to adjust to the health crisis which has revealed more than ever before how important it is to reflect on the diversity of interactions and spaces.

Cities are places of life, work and travel. According to the UN, half of the world’s population lives in cities, and this figure will reach around two thirds by 2050. In our conception of the city, it is important to reinvent ourselves: offices must open themselves up and find a function that benefits the city during the day, but also during evenings and weekends.

“Nothing is lost, everything is transformed”. The circular economy applied to real estate means re-using and developing buildings, infrastructures and neighbourhoods without drying up natural resources, polluting the environment or damaging our ecosystems. The aim of the circular economy is also to use raw materials sensibly, re-purpose and recycle waste. It is, more than ever, a part of property development’s business model.