SAN FRANCISCO—Futurist Paul Saffo, chair of the future studies and forecasting track at Singularity University, closed the ULI Fall Meeting with insights on the exponential growth in technology, capping a week of discussions on how it is affecting all aspects of urban design and development. In the time it takes to construct a building, technology is created, becomes outdated and is repeatedly updated, which poses a daunting challenge for developers attempting to respond to current and even future market demands. Saffo's advice for land use professionals: when it comes to technology, don't try to be the change, rather, adapt to it.
"There are two types of technology—the technology that has not been introduced yet, and the technology that is obsolete," said Saffo. "I would avoid putting intelligence in buildings unless you can yank it out."
Saffo's comments set the stage for a discussion by Michael Covarrubias, chairman and chief executive officer of TMG Partners, and Daniel McQuade, chief executive of Tishman Construction Corporation with Patrick Phillips, ULI's global chief executive officer, as the moderator.
Recommended For You
Want to continue reading?
Become a Free ALM Digital Reader.
Once you are an ALM Digital Member, you’ll receive:
- Breaking commercial real estate news and analysis, on-site and via our newsletters and custom alerts
- Educational webcasts, white papers, and ebooks from industry thought leaders
- Critical coverage of the property casualty insurance and financial advisory markets on our other ALM sites, PropertyCasualty360 and ThinkAdvisor
Already have an account? Sign In Now
*May exclude premium content© 2025 ALM Global, LLC, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to [email protected]. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.