Local economies are struggling to deal with a significant reduction in business revenue, sales tax, and other revenue in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many cities are expecting to see a continued five to 15 percent cutback in revenue over the next couple of years. Communities will need to take steps to move forward with reduced budgets. This is going to require strategic building and planning. Young architects are stepping up to the plate by offering proactive, cost-efficient, and creative approaches to design.
When you look at the young architects competitions, you see a focus on sustainability and environmentally friendly design. Young architects competitions can serve as a looking glass to give an idea of what designs will look like in the future.
Young people focus on investing in bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure. Younger architects are concerned with having cleaner air, quieter streets, and healthful places where people can spend their time. The COVID-19 pandemic has helped accelerate this idea. As more people have been forced to spend time at home and there has been fewer public social events, people have been forced to find their entertainment outdoors. This has led to a massive increase in trail usage across the United States. This trend is expected to continue and will go hand-in-hand with eco-friendly city designs being pioneered by young architects.
Young architects benefit because they are able to use technologies that were not available just a few years ago. These include things like 3D modeling, 3D animation, and 3D digital rendering. With these technologies, young architects can present their proactive designs to stakeholders.