In the context of architecture and real estate, the value of design—be it financial or social value—remains largely unmeasured, overlooked, and inadequately researched.
By failing to acknowledge the potential of design, we miss opportunities to address the wide-ranging social and sustainability challenges at play today. This book acts as a platform to bridge the gap between design and finance, using empirical research to dissect design into measurable features through data-driven methodologies, with New York City serving as the experimental research site. Novel analytical tools such as AI, machine learning, and natural language processing, along with new forms of data like anonymised mobile phone data, social media data, and image data, unlock new dimensions for gauging the impact of previously immeasurable design elements of the built environment on human behaviours.
- This book aims to reshape industry perspectives and advocate for a more sustainable, human-centric, and holistically valued built environment
- We present a novel framework that quantitatively assesses real estate value through design, using innovative, data-driven methods and New York City's diverse architectural landscape as a case study, offering a fresh and empirically grounded perspective on the market
- By presenting a financial precedent for the value of design, we can influence real estate development practices toward sustainability and human-centric designs. The goal is not only to pave the way for a more sustainable future, but also to reshape our built environment in a manner that fosters health, resilience, and sustainability
- Foreword by Dennis Frenchman (MIT’s Post-tenure Professor of Urban Design & Planning; Founder, DesignX) and Svafa Grönfeldt (Founding member of MIT’s innovation accelerator DesignX)