Perspectives introduction - Mipim 2017

Rather, the seven articles cover connectivity in all its forms: the importance of excellent transport links, high-speed internet connections, interpersonal relationships and more.

Take Cluttons’ article by John Gravett on high-speed internet connectivity in the modern office. When the importance of such access is taken as a given, he wonders why a recent Ofcom report concluded that 4.5 million workers have problems with poor connectivity. The vital role online connectivity plays in modern life isn’t just restricted to the world of work, however, as Yardi’s Stephanie Smith notes.

Online portals in build-to-rent projects can be used not just by developers and asset managers to connect with customers, but to allow customers to connect to each other, thereby building a sense of community in the most urban of environments.

Of course, transport connectivity is also addressed. Lynda Shillaw of MAG Property provides a thoughtful analysis of why forward-thinking airports make for ideal new office locations, providing not just fast connections for domestic and highly educated workforces, but also often the opportunity to design offices with a blank canvas.

The importance of multi-model transport connectivity is also discussed by John Clements of logistics developer Verdion, while Chris Pomphrey of Euroclad provides a view on how the shifting logistics landscape - led by online retail - is changing the nature of occupier requirements.

Outside the UK, Hibernia REIT’s Kevin Nowlan makes the case for Dublin as a destination of choice for companies fleeing Brexit Britain. And guess what? Connectivity is at the heart of his incisive analysis. Ireland’s capital doesn’t just have the office space to accommodate firms, he writes; it has the linguistic, cultural and legal connections to the UK and the US, and the ever-evolving transport and ongoing economic connections to Europe, necessary to make relocation both viable and profitable.

Finally, we have Stephen Wasserman of West One’s musings on the seemingly unstoppable rise of bridging loans - another fascinating subject.

So wherever you are reading this, be it on the beach in Cannes or stuck in the office in the UK, I hope this edition of Perspectives provides much food for thought and, well, a sense of perspective.

No matter how busy and interconnected our working and personal lives become, it is always important to take a step back and take a look at the bigger picture. We hope the following seven articles provide just that opportunity.

Adam Branson is Property Week’s associate editor (features)