Trend Talks: Community Design on the Rise Around the World

The Internet and globalization have brought us into contact with people from all over the world, and this has opened us up to the world. We are breaking down all boundaries: of race, gender, nationality. We are expanding far beyond our families and our countries. But even though we are citizens of the world and move through different segments of different societies, we have a need to belong. “The sense of community and community is becoming stronger. That’s why the occupation of public spaces, street parties and picnics in the square are becoming more and more common. People are turning their attention to the common good, and they are starting to take care of their neighborhoods, the squares and the streets,” says André Alves, a trend researcher.

“They were welcoming spaces, where differences were seen as a resource, not a threat. They helped us realize that we are all neighbors, and that we can have a more lively, more colorful and more human city,” he says. Brands around the world that are realizing this appreciation for the community are also starting to invest more and more in local design and culture. The global coffee shop chain Starbucks, for example, no longer wants standard stores. Almost two years ago, the company's design department decided that the decor of new stores should reference the community in which they are located. To achieve this, local architects are hired or the chain's architects are sent to the location and have to live there for a while to immerse themselves in the culture and way of life of the inhabitants. Airbnb, a company that promotes hosting worldwide, holds annual conventions in different locations to “empower” hosts. At these meetings, managers give hosts tips on how to value local culture so that they can better welcome guests from all over the world, since they seek this type of service, in large part, to be able to interact more closely with the habits and lifestyle of the community.