With the fear of future pandemics playing heavy on people’s minds, city layouts are getting a re-think. Guallart’s ‘COVID-19-proof’ smart city in China is designed to ease the strain of living in lockdown, pointing to a future where preparedness is a key component of urban design.

Britons are having a love affair with plants. From terrariums and cacti to Living Walls and hanging baskets, they want to tap into their affinity with nature. With urbanisation making the natural world more difficult to access, biophilic design is reconnecting people to nature in built environments.

Green-fingered retirees were once the archetypal gardeners but now urban Gen Yers and Zers are waking up to the many benefits of tending plants, whether they’re in an allotment, window box, or the home. But how do these garden gurus differ from their parents and grandparents?

The COVID-19 pandemic has upheaved societies around the world – perhaps permanently. There’s an acknowledgement that everyday life will have to change post-lockdown to avoid further outbreaks, but could this transition also present a chance to usher in a fairer, greener, and less lonely future?