Our Scans · Urban Planning · Weekly Summary

• [New] Fastest Growing Region: Asia Pacific is projected to grow fastest, driven by urban gardening expansion in China and India, rising disposable incomes, and rapid adoption of e-commerce platforms. Persistence Market Research
• [New] Houston is one of only eight U.S. cities where the Freedom Plane will land. CultureMap Houston
• [New] With inflation still running well above the RBA's 2-3% target band and three of Australia's four major banks forecasting no cuts until at least mid-2027, the pressure on household budgets is far from over. Integrated Finance Group
• [New] The fare-free, zero-emission transit service will connect dense neighborhoods, busy business districts, world-class cultural institutions, and vibrant academic communities within Kansas City. Railway Track and Structures
• [New] 90% of millennials and 77% of Gen Z will stay within the U.S. for their trips, with cities leading the way for 70% of Gen Z travelers and 44% of millennials. TravelAge West
• [New] WeRide targets 15 cities globally by 2030 with hundreds of robotaxis per city. Unrot
• [New] In 2029, New Orleans will serve as a host city for PCMA, also for the fifth time. Meetings Today
• [New] E. floodgate system could reduce urban flood risk in the Venice Lagoon (Italy) while maintaining the provisioning capacity of its coastal wetlands. Nature
• [New] Low-lying coastal regions, which host approximately 11% of the global urban population, face increasing flood risk due to climate-driven sea-level rise and human activities. Nature
• [New] As AI-driven journey planning, unified ticketing systems, shared electric fleets, and smart city projects continue to expand, MaaS is emerging as a cost-effective and sustainable alternative to traditional transportation models, creating significant growth opportunities through 2035. Precedence Research
• [New] The European Housing Alliance, a key priority of the new European Affordable Housing Plan will work to harness housing expertise and best practice from across Europe to allow for continued sharing and mutual learning. housing
• [New] Loan growth in Australia's banking sector will reach 6.6% y-o-y at end-2026, up from an estimated 6.3% at end-2025, supported by effective monetary policy transmission, sustained demand across housing, commercial and government lending and favourable economic conditions. Fitch Solutions
• [New] Air taxi services are expected to launch commercially in select cities within the next 1-3 years, while personal ownership of roadable aircraft is likely 5-10 years or more out. Day Spring Management
• [New] By 2030, we can anticipate seeing more established air taxi services operating in major cities worldwide. Day Spring Management
• [New] As housing demand and economic conditions continue to shape lending activity, top-rated mortgage lenders in 2026 are expected to maintain a focus on accessibility, digital application processes, and flexible qualification standards. GlobalFinTechSeries
• [New] Robotaxis and autonomous trucks will lead public-road deployment, with as many as 80 cities potentially hosting large-scale robotaxi services by 2035. Mean CEO's BLOG
• [New] Over the past few years, thousands of businesses in Bangkok and major urban areas spent massive budgets implementing various baseline artificial intelligence tools, driven largely by the fear of missing out. iReadCustomer
• [New] The residential segment is the anticipated to grow at a fastest CAGR of 4.5% from 2026 to 2034 owing to the ongoing housing shortage and the shift towards single family home construction. Market Data Forecast
• [New] The largest banks in the United States are working on a tokenized deposit network that is intended to launch in the first half of 2027 through their co-owned payment network company Clearing House. Gizmodo
• [New] Some data centers that are currently under construction will use more energy than large cities. CNet
• [New] If a particular sponge type were used in every German household, annual emissions could reach as much as 355 tonnes of microplastics. ScienceDaily
• [New] With global biodiversity in crisis, and climate change threatening nearly every city in the world, designing cities with nature is critical to advance resilience, adaptation, and more livable urban environments. New York Botanical Garden
• [New] Globally rapid urbanization means two thirds of all humanity will live in cities in the next two decades. New York Botanical Garden

Last updated: 19 June 2026