More commercial disputes happen in energy, mining, infrastructure and urban development than in other industries. Projects in these sectors demand long timeframes and the co-ordination of large numbers of organisations, both of which cause friction. Consequently, conflict management and dispute resolution techniques have advanced fast. Why do disputes matter? Commercial disputes are like toxins. They cause […]

Rethinking how we build shelter may be an important step in increasing sustainability. One such possibility involves creating permeable buildings that interact with the natural world. Traditional buildings are designed to provide protection against a savage world, with us safe on one side and our waste on the other. Architects have long relied on ‘hard’ […]

Our built environment and its entire value chain are in the wake of a severe transformation. Artificial intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things, robotics and other technologies are not only responsible for the emergence of smart cities, automated processes and new business opportunities, but a change to the rules underpinning the real estate industry. The impact […]

The walls are coming down in Finland’s schools – but not just the physical barriers between classrooms. Also going are divisions between subjects and age ranges, and students have more of a say over what will be learnt than children in many other countries. According to CityLab, an architecture website, the country is undergoing an […]

Technology shapes so much around us. Cars no longer need gasoline. Home appliances respond to voice commands. Ten thousand songs reside on a wristwatch. All of this (and much more) can be traced back to the next technological paradigm shift that is artificial intelligence. Software has evolved from rigid, binary engines to learning systems that […]

In today’s increasingly complex, fast-paced and interconnected world, breakthrough technologies, demographic shifts and political transformations are having far-reaching societal and economic consequences. Our societies are facing systemic global challenges that can no longer be addressed through the conventional linear approach of hierarchical corporate and governmental structures. The theme of the World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting […]

I was visiting business banks – the likes of Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley and Barclays – in The City of London one particular week in 2008. While bankers kept spirits as high as spending levels at first, meetings were shortened or cancelled later in the week. I was witnessing the pinnacle of the financial crisis […]

It is becoming ever more clear that the major global trends which are having the greatest impact on the world around us are not only increasingly intertwined, but are also becoming ever broader in their impact, affecting a greater number of regions and citizens. Global hunger is on the increase, for the first time in […]

Building Asia’s green cities of the future is about more than energy efficiency – it can drive a virtuous cycle of economic growth and restructuring, as low-skilled jobs on large construction sites provide income opportunities for millions of migrants. On-the-job training can equip these labourers to build efficiently — and to build buildings and urban […]