What Birmingham could look like in 2033

Sep 4 2008 By Emma McKinney

FEWER tower blocks and more green space – that’s a vision of Birmingham city centre in 2033.

Scientists have used state-of-the-art technology to produce an image of what the city could look like in 25 years’ time, predicting that tower blocks will face the bulldozer as more people ditch the traditional nine-to-five grind in favour of working from home.

Experts at Microsoft say mobile technology and flexible working hours are already having a dramatic impact on Britain’s urban landscape, and they predict that more city centres will become pedestrianised as the number of commuters and visitors plunge.

A survey carried out by the company also revealed that 18 per cent of people believe head offices were becoming redundant and 44 per cent of people said they were increasingly allowed to work from home.

“The UK is set to change dramatically over the next 25 years as remote working evolves and employers and employees alike embrace the changes to come,” said James McCarthy, a researcher at Microsoft.

“The UK’s landscape is being significantly redrawn to accommodate more mobile working.

“Old-fashioned spaces will be replaced with green wi-fi spots, and new multi-purpose spaces will be erected which will combine apartments, offices, shops and cafes, making our cities a much more inspiring landscape to work in.”

Timo Veikkola, a director at The Future Laboratory, which assisted the research, said the UK was leading the way in Europe in helping people to have a happier work-life balance, with 22 per cent of businesses offer staff flexible hours and working locations.

“Government figures show that three million people work from home – equivalent to 12 per cent of the UK’s workforce – with more and more companies actively encouraging home working,” he added.