Think: The pandemic has accelerated the future–for better and worse. This week’s “Future 5” will focus on five trends that are accelerating. The first is in the retail sector. Amazon, the owner of Whole Foods, is now contemplating cashier-less stores: Amazon Go’s Cashierless Tech May Come to Whole Foods as Soon as 2021. In an economy where unemployment is already growing to levels not seen since the Great Depression, what might this mean for society? It is something we all need to think about.
Think Harder: The second trend accelerating is 3D printing. With apartment evictions rising and homelessness increasing, society is in need of solutions, and it is possible the “tiny house” movement could converge with 3D printing to create affordable, attractive housing: This Tiny House is 3D Printed, Floats, and Will Last Over 100 Years. This is a trend about which both city planners and construction industry professionals are encouraged to think harder!
Think Bigger: The third trend is autonomous trucking. As this article, TuSimple’s Robot Big Rigs Will Automate Freight Coast to Coast, explains it could be here sooner rather than later.
Think Smarter: As if self-driving trucks were not enough, the fourth trend is self-flying planes. As this article explains, Xwing Plans Short, Regional Flights for its Autonomous Plane, the trend could have big implications for regional travel patterns.
Think Greener: Trend #5 is urban agriculture. Unused rooftop space is being transformed into stunning sustainable farms. It is a trend both farmers and city planners should be thinking about today.
Heart-Centered Thinking: My latest poem. It is entitled “Be” and is a reflection of my own transition to heart-centered thinking.
Until next week: Don’t stop thinking about the future! But also never forget “It is easier to act your way into a new way of thinking than think your way into a new way of acting“!
