Evolving urban destinations across Asia Pacific

EVOLVING URBAN DESTINATIONS HowtheblendingofworkandtravelisreshapingcitiesinAsia-Pacificforthebetter Awhitepaperby: Formoreinformationcontact: HuwPhillips Huw.Philiips@airbnb.com MalcolmSmith Malcolm.Smith@arup.com SaraRollason Sara.Rollason@arup.com BriceRichard Brice.Richard@arup.com MitchLee Mitch.Lee@arup.com ArupSydney Level5,BarrackPlace,151ClarenceSt,Sydney,NSW,2000Australia T+61293209320 Esydney@arup.comwww.arup.com ArupSingaporePteLtd 182CecilStreet#06-01 FrasersTowerSingapore069547T+6564112500 Esingapore@arup.comwww.arup.com EVOLVINGURBANDESTINATIONS–2 TheCOVID-19pandemichasbeenamongthemostseismicandsustainedsocialandeconomicdisruptionswehaveexperiencedingenerations.Thepandemichasforcedacollectiverethinkofmanyestablishedprinciplesforhowweorganisework,life,andtravel.Ashistoryshows,citiesareoftenthecommunitiesmostdramaticallyimpactedbypandemicsandCOVID-19isnodifferent. Asthepandemicfirstemerged,thehumancostinliveswasmostacutelyfeltincitiesaroundtheworld,andtheeconomiccostcausedsignificanthardshipformillionsofpeoplethroughjobslostanddamagedbusinesses.Urbancentresquicklybecameghost-townsaslockdownstookeffect,withmanyexperiencingaslowrecovery. Oneindustrythathasbeensignificantlyupendedbythecrisisistravel.Asthepandemicbegan,internationaltravelgroundtoahalt.Evenasinternationaltravelhasslowlyrecovered,travellersarevisitingmoredisperseddestinationsandstayinglonger.Domestictravelpatternstoohavechangedalongthesamelinesaspeopleexploreoff-the-beatenpathruralandregionaldestinations.Astherecoveryintravelcontinues,it’stakenonaformunderscoredbygreaterflexibility,dispersalanddiversification,thatisenablingmorecommunitiesthaneverbeforetoreapthebenefitsoftourism.Peoplearenowbeginningtoreturntourbanspaces,andmanyworkerspermanentlyuntetheredfromtheneedtobeinanofficeeveryday,thankstocontinuedadvancementintechnologiesthatenableremotework,havetheopportunitytoliveandworkfromanywhere.Thesechangesintravel,living,andworkingpatternsenableustothinkcreativelyaboutthefuturethroughawholesalere-thinkabouturbanspacesandareimaginationofhowthesespacescanadapttothesetrends. Underpinningthesechangesareissuesofsustainabilityandresilienceacrosseconomic,social,andenvironmentalparadigms,allofwhicharejustassalientfortheninecities—Bangkok,Brisbane,KualaLumpur,Melbourne,Osaka,Seoul,Singapore,Sydney,andTokyo—featuredinthiswhitepaper,nowthaneverbefore.Indeed,justasthepandemictransformedourcities,itwarrantsatransformationinnotjusthowwethinkaboutoururbanspacestomaximisethebenefitsofnewtrendsinliving,working,andtravellingbuthowtobuildgreaterresilience. WecannowstarttomakemoresenseofthechangesusheredinbyCOVID-19,andwhatthismeansforresidents,workers,andtravellersinurbancommunities,aswellaspolicy-makersandtheprivatesector.Whenwecommissionedthiswhitepaper,wewantedtogainabetterunderstandingofthechallengesandopportunitiesintheseninecitiesacrosstheAsia-Pacific,withaviewtoidentifyingpotentialsolutionssotheycanmakethemostofthesefundamentalchangesforthebenefitofresidentsandtravellersalike.Asthechangingrealitiesofapost-pandemicworldcontinuetounfold,thisfirst-of-its-kindwhitepaperoutlinestheneedtosecureamoreresilienteconomicfuturebyrethinkingurbanstructuresandspacesinresponsetolongtermtrendsinliving,working,andtravelling. Ascitiesadjusttothesenewrealities,somewaysinwhichurbancommunitiescanbestrengthenedincludepursuingopportunitiesto: •Reuseandrepurposeexistingrealestate,toachievesustainabilitysavings,reinvigorateurbanspacesandadjusttonewworkingtrends—untetheredworkforceswithincreasedflexibility —byrethinkinglandusesforbothofficeandlivingspaces; Foreword •Diversifyhousingtypologiesbyestablishingthepolicysettingsforhousingthatcaterstodifferentcommunitiesandemergingusecasesofpeople’saccommodationneeds,includingincreasingsupplyofmorepermanentandaffordablehousingaswellastemporaryaccommodationoptionsforpeoplewhoblendworkandholidaytravel—suchas“workcations”—aswellasremoteworkers; •Winthecompetitionfortalentbyaccommodatingnewlive-and-workanywherepractices,suchasworkcationsanddigitalnomadism; •Creatediverseanduniqueofferingswhichhelpreimaginecityidentitiesastheyadapttothenewwaysofliving,working,andtravelling; •Betterdispersaloftravelsothatcommunitiesbigandsmallcanshareinthebenefitsoftourismthroughthecreationofricherexperiencesaroundnewtourismofferingsbasedonexistingcultural,historic,andnaturalassets;and •Drivegreatercollaborationwithlocalcommunitiestobuildlocal,authentic,diverse,inclusiveandsustainabletourismthatbringsbenefitstoabroadgroupofstakeholders. Thiswhitepaperisastartingpoint.Itprovidesinsightstoinformpolicysettingsandplace-makinginadrasticallydifferentworld,andencouragesusalltoconsidertheopportunitiestore-imaginehowcitiescanbenefitfromthetrendsitconsiders,fromstrategicplanninginitiativesandurbaninnovationtonovelarchitecturaldesignandtransportationimprovements.Thesechangesinvitebothpublicandprivatesectorstorethinkhowtobestpositioncommunitiestobemoresustainableandresilient,bringingbenefitstoallstakeholders. OnAirbnb,weareseeingpeopleembracelongerstaysanda