Cura-ted Place Insights 2025.
HOW TRENDS WILL INFLUENCE THE WAY WE SHAPE PLACES.
As we step into 2025, we reflect on the key insights gained from a year of building and running Cura, our regenerative placemaking practice. We’ve had valuable discussions with landowners, developers, architects, and ESG experts, and would like to share the key takeaways.
The industry is being shaped by four major trends: an ageing population, urbanisation, climate change, and a digital-first world. So, how are these trends influencing placemaking in 2025?
At Cura, we focus on both the changes we’re seeing and those we aim to instigate, using placemaking to create lasting, positive impact.
OUR INSIGHTS FOR 2025
01. Live-Work Connection
The future of cities will be defined by how effectively they reconnect living and working spaces. Hybrid working has sparked a shift away from traditional city centres, with people increasingly gravitating towards hyper-local hubs. But with calls for a return to office-based work, are we witnessing a reversal of this trend?
Whether or not workers return to offices in droves, we are undeniably seeing the rise of asynchronous work. This shift is paving the way for the creation of "anytime cities" — 24/7 service environments that promote greater inclusivity and accessibility for all.
02. Urban Repurposing
By 2050, over 70% of the UK population will live in urban hubs. Coupled with changes in how we work, shop, and socialise, it puts pressure on the built environment to evolve. A solution lies in repurposing ageing assets. Eg. Transforming distressed industrial buildings into community spaces, breathing new life into neighbourhoods.
Simultaneously, city centres need to rethink their purpose. With traditional retail declining, the focus should shift from consumption to engagement with spaces for play, learning, culture, and meaningful connections. This heralds the rise of the “Central Experience District.”
03. Multi/Mixed Use Districts
As we move towards more integrated urban environments, workplaces, retail spaces, and community hubs will increasingly overlap. Equitable design is the forefront of this shift, ensuring that spaces not only serve their practical purposes but also foster positive social impact.
Buildings can contribute to their local ecosystems' economic and social vibrancy, while enhancing occupier experience and value. Facilities like gallery spaces, temporary exhibitions, pop-up retail outlets or space for non-occupier events, foster community integration and attract local businesses.
04. Responsible Practices
Brands will no longer be able to merely claim commitment to ESG values; they will be required to demonstrate them in action. This shift is already being felt within the commercial real estate sector, where 77% of professionals believe ESG credentials will significantly affect asset valuations within the next 12-18 months.
“The social aspect is an underestimated theme within the industry. We see a lot of runway left for that in all asset classes.” Source: ULI Emerging Trends Report, 2025
05. Place-Keeping
With cities and communities continuing to evolve, the importance of preserving legacy, authenticity, and heritage will become ever more evident.
A place legacy can serve as a reminder of where people have come from; it helps people feel a sense of continuity, grounding them in a shared history.
The challenge, of course, is balancing the modern demands for functionality, accessibility, and innovation with the need to preserve what gives a place its soul.