June 27, 2018  by

On Resilience: Chicago Client Open House 2018

One of the best pieces of advice I ever heard was something along the lines of: “If you want to appear smart, surround yourself with smarter people.”

That’s what we did last Thursday evening, June 21, when we invited clients, consultants, and contractors to the CRTKL Chicago office to talk candidly about “resilience”— the topic of this year’s CRTKL Spark Week, and a subject that can take the dialogue in many different directions. Beer, wine, and apps (the edible kind) helped facilitate the conversation.

A panel of industry experts from the development world shared insights and fielded questions for almost an hour, raising the IQ of yours truly in the process. Liz Holland, CEO/General Counsel of Abell Associates; Bob Winter, Principal and Director at IMEG; Kurt Pairitz, Managing Director, Development of Newcastle, Ltd.; and Jeff Berta, Senior Director of Real Estate at Structured Development were patient, brilliant panelists with insight and knowledge of resilience in all its forms: physical, social, economic and market-driven.

In nature, and in the built environment, resilience is closely aligned with adaptation.
This makes the practice of urbanism especially dynamic in the year 2018, as planners, designers, builders and developers cope with radical changes in transportation, digital transformation, cultural shifts and economic upheaval. One of the most popular thought-provoking questions has been the ongoing analysis of the role of bricks (physical stores) and clicks (online shopping) in the retail (r)evolution, and its pertinence to resiliency, particularly in the wake of the Supreme Court’s ruling on South Dakota v. Wayfair.

Some nuggets and takeaways that may make for good icebreakers at your next cocktail party (assuming there are some architects and planners in attendance):

• Resilience is essentially a combination of flexibility and adaptation.
• The most resilient building forms are the most flexible; in other words, “Long Life, Loose Fit, Low Energy.”
• In 1918, loft buildings were used for manufacturing. In 2018, loft buildings are used as homes. We shouldn’t become too attached to a single use for a single building.
• Everyone knows omnichannel retail is the only way to go. Now, online retailers are using analytics to plant physical stores in the locations with the most online sales.
• Use trend lines to predict the future rather than relying solely on market analysis.
• History repeats itself: in every century and every culture, mixed-use prevails.
• In Chicago, our city’s resilience has historically been linked to the resilience of Lake Michigan. We must be vigilant protectors of the Great Lakes.
• Politics influence urban resilience. Recent legislative changes in Chicago have facilitated increased density, reduced parking requirements, increased affordable housing options, and funded CTA infrastructure improvements—all steps in the right direction.

In the end, the beverages were consumed, the conversation flowed, the questions asked and answered, and we were all the smarter for it. Thanks to those who joined us. Looking forward to Client Open House 2019!

CallisonRTKL

CallisonRTKL

For more than five decades, Callison and RTKL have created some of the world’s most memorable and successful environments for developers, retailers, investors, institutions and public entities. In 2015, our two practices came together under the Arcadis umbrella, expanding our sphere of influence and the depth and breadth of our resources. Our team is comprised of nearly 2,000 creative, innovative professionals throughout the world who are committed to advancing our client’s businesses and enhancing quality of life.
in Uncategorized 0 comments