The world, in its complex and ever-evolving nature, has been thrust into a whirlwind of transformations. From the burgeoning tide of technological advancements to the unpredictability and far-reaching impacts of a global pandemic, we've seen the landscape of our lives reshape at an unparalleled pace. Today, we find ourselves at a pivotal juncture, poised at the dawn of what many scholars and thought leaders have aptly termed a 'Digital Renaissance.' Just as the historical Renaissance marked a profound shift in art, science, and thought, this digital counterpart signifies a seismic change in how we live, work, communicate, and think. This book seeks to be a compass in these tumultuous times, a guide that provides clarity amidst the digital fog. It delves deep into the multifaceted dimensions of our contemporary era, addressing the myriad challenges we face while spotlighting the opportunities that lie ahead. More than just a commentary on digital trends, this work emphasizes the importance of personal growth and self-discovery in this digital age. It underscores the need to harness digital innovation not as an end but as a means—a means to enrich our lives, foster genuine connections, and catalyze positive change. Furthermore, in a world increasingly aware of its ecological and societal footprint, the book brings to the fore the crucial theme of sustainability. It beckons readers to consider not just the wonders of digital transformation but also its implications on our planet and societies. Through a blend of research, personal anecdotes, and actionable insights, this work aims to equip readers with the tools and perspectives needed to navigate the Digital Renaissance with purpose, mindfulness, and a commitment to holistic well-being.

Are pandemics the end of cities? Or, do they present an opportunity for us to reshape cities in ways making us even more innovative, successful and sustainable? Pandemics such as COVID-19 (and comparable disruptions) have caused intense debates over the future of cities. Through a series of investigative studies, Designing Smart and Resilient Cities for a Post-Pandemic World: Metropandemic Revolution seeks to critically discuss and compare different cases, innovations and approaches as to how cities can utilise nascent and future digital technology and/or new strategies in order to build stronger resilience to better tackle comparable large-scale pandemics and/or disruptions in the future. The authors identify ten separate societal areas where future digital technology can impact resilience. These are discussed in individual chapters. Each chapter concludes with a set of proposed "action points" based on the conclusions of each respective study. These serve as solid policy recommendations of what courses of action to take, to help increase the resilience in smart cities for each designated area. Securing resilience and cohesion between each area will bring about the metropandemic revolution. This book features a foreword by Nobel laureate Peter C. Doherty and an afterword by Professor of Urban Technologies, Carlo Ratti. It provides fresh and unique insights on smart cities and futures studies in a pandemic context, offers profound reflections on contemporary societal functions and the needs to build resilience and combines lessons learned from historical pandemics with possibilities offered by future technology.

What will the worker, workplace and work itself look like in the future? Work 3.0 tackles this and some of the other most pressing and complex questions of the present age, head-on. Avik Chanda and Siddhartha Bandyopadhyay employ rigorous research supplemented with industry reports, business case studies, expert interviews, anecdotes, their personal expertise and insights, to present a rich multi-disciplinary brew that spans economics, statistics, public policy, history, sociology, psychology, law, political science, literature and philosophy. Highly ambitious in scope, astonishingly rich in analytical detail and far-reaching in its conclusions, the book will change the way you think about the future and how the past and present still shape it. Conceived as the ultimate future of work preparation guide, this book is essential reading for our tenuous and unpredictable times.

COVID-19 forced a dramatic change to customer behavior that resulted in an economic crisis not witnessed by anyone alive. Businesses can no longer operate as before because their customers are no longer operating as before. This book provides customer-centric based guidance for how businesses should adapt to this new reality, deriving insights from academic research, case studies, interviews, and best practice examples from around the world. As validated by hundreds of top-level executives, its readers will gain a better understanding of why customer behavior has changed so they can use the book’s solutions to navigate through and succeed in the post COVID-19 future.

An examination of the future of our workspaces and how the pandemic will continue to shape how and where we work. In the era of WFH, hybrid working and flexible hours, going to the office is no longer what it used to be. Many businesses and organizations, as well as the entire commercial real estate sector, are struggling to address their new workplace dilemmas in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. With the rise of diverse working practices and new technological innovations, the traditional office space no longer serves the needs of the workforce. And with increasing numbers of staff now comfortable with a degree of working from home, how can companies assess their longer-term workspace needs? This new follow-up edition of Where Is My Office?, fully revised and updated to reflect the true impact of the pandemic on the workplace, highlights some of the bold new frameworks and practical considerations for business leaders, workplace practitioners and those involved in commercial real estate as they navigate the complex post-pandemic working landscape. Authors Chris Kane and Eugenia Anastassiou draw upon their extensive knowledge and experience to investigate the new-found significance of innovative corporate real estate thinking in modern workplaces. Where is My Office?: The Post-Pandemic Edition is a must-read for any business leader or senior manager looking to revitalize their workplace in a post-pandemic environment, and to develop a greater understanding of the beneficial impacts that creative workplace strategies that harness the relationship between people, place, technology, and the environment can have upon their organization's success.

An Independent International Monthly Lifestyle Journal from Writers' Kalam

This book captures ground-breaking attempts to utilise culture in territorial development and regeneration processes in the context of South Africa and our 'new normal' brought by COVID-19, the fourth industrial revolution, and climate change the world over. The importance of culture in rural-urban revitalisation has been underestimated in South Africa and the African continent at large. Despite some cultural initiatives that are still at developmental stages in big cities, such as Johannesburg, eThekwini and Cape Town, there is concern about the absence of sustainable policies and plans to support culture, creativity, and indigenous knowledge at national and municipal levels. Showcasing alternative strategies for making culture central to development, this book discusses opportunities to shift culture and indigenous knowledge from the peripheries and place them at the epicentre of sustainable development and the mainstream of cultural planning, which can then be applied in the contexts of Africa and the Global South. Governmental institutions, research councils, civil society organisations, private sector, and higher education institutions come together in a joint effort to explain the nexus between culture, economic development, rural-urban linkages, grassroots and technological innovations. Culture and Rural-Urban Revitalization in South Africa is an ideal read for those interested in rural and urban planning, cultural policy, indigenous knowledge and smart rural village model.