4 scenarios for Europe
Perfect success or divine punishment? Towards what is the global real estate market heading? How is the real estate year 2020 outlined? What about the 2050 year? In studying the future, foresights are being made throughout all the power centers of the world. The fight for its control could be the success key. All important decisions are taken in relation to these foresights. As a result, the future has its own academy: The Futures Academy – Dublin. From a real estate perspective, world evolution is the central pylon for many of the research projects regarding the future of our planet. The energy, the transportations, the communications, urbanism, almost everything is carrying some sort of real estate signature. “With the number of inhabitants estimated to double by the middle of the 21th century, we will build as many building as the existent ones. By the year 2050, we will practically recreate the existing world physically” sustains David Geltner from MIT Center for Real Estate. What concerns the entire world of research, regarding this unprecedented increase, is that The Earth has already reached its maximum capacity to absorb and recycle the CO2 emissions since the middle of the last century. Jon Bjon Skulason, the manager of Icelandic New Energy sustains that, based on computerized representations of the Natural system of Earth, the hydrogen represents the future of combustion and that humanity must reduce the major climate changes predicted for the next 100 years.
During the last 200 years major technological, demographical, cultural and environmental transformations were recorded. For 30 years, the transformations were categorized under a single name: globalization. The new EU formula is probably the most important economic and political revolution of our times. How will Europe be from now on? More prosperous or in regress? A couple of years back, according to a report by Global Real Estate Scenarios, realized by consulting company King Sturge, 4 scripts for the Europe of 2020 have been devised.
1. European Empire – “Fear and labefaction”
This script assumes that the European Union will be controlled by technology. The Internet will grow exponentially and globally. Over 80% of European properties will be connected to Internet by the year 2010. EU directives will control both the real estate market and the methods of building utilization.
2. Principia Ethica – “Moral imperative”
For this scenario, a global metamorphosis is predicted. Integration of new states in the EU will be a geographic, economic and politic success. Europe will admit parallel, legal and transparent economic risings. The quality of life will rise. The European dream will become reality and corruption will be eliminated. On a global level, in the next 25 years, Ethica will become a priority, followed closely by environmental concerns. The EU will reach consensus regarding property strategy.
3. Wealth Titans – “Economics will seize power”
This scenario predicts a rapid economic rising, a complete opening of markets and a swift rise of technology. EU expansion will be based on economical and political integration. Ecology will be neglected, which will lead to important climate changes and increased social anxiety. The gap between the rich and the poor will grow; migration and criminality will reach record levels.
4. Belshazzar’s Feast – “Federal fragmentation”
In this scenario, Europe will stagnate economically, and instability will be the dominating factor. Integration of new states will stop. The European dream will fail along with the politics of security. Corrupted regions, environmental degradation, high criminality, corruption and chaos.
These scenarios will overlap with the changes in the quality of life. Studies show that the values, ideals and sentiments will eclipse all that is material and attainable. The future will be that of an informatics society, focalized on electronics, automatics and information processing. With the development of long distance communications, location will no longer be as important as design, creativity and imagination. ”Hard work” will become “hard fun”. Companies will no longer be simple entities but social nucleuses, where intellectual abilities will eclipse physical ones. The working space of the future will have a special design which will maximize communication, interaction and creativity.
Every day brings changes. On all plans. Those who research the future probably have the most difficult task: to suggest the way. In turn, real estate specialists have an important responsibility: to chose urban research solutions keeping in mind that The Earth is only one