ABSTRACT
Designers should consider, anticipate, and respond to societal shifts to encourage functional, pleasing, and sustainable places. While it is impossible to predict which advances and societal shifts will most influence design decisions in the future, this chapter explores several changes poised to shape how design practice is conducted and three issues likely to transform design decisions and impact human behaviors. Three topics – the physical and social impacts of sustainability in planning and design, the connections between place and well-being, and the application of technology in design practice – are offered as a means for considering how changes in society are linked to changes in human behavior and environmental decisions. With time, other concerns and innovations will assuredly continue to influence people–environment relationships.
