The changing reality of the American dream - by David Kirk

Not my headline. However, a good place to start the new story of once upon a time! Over time, the built environment has responded to the physical needs and desires of the community for sustenance and survival. Now those needs and desires are changing, and so are the dreams! The rather remarkable rate of change in retail and, now, office property has significantly impacted the value in use of commercial property. Obsolescence - physical, functional and economic - has catapulted forward. Faster, more dramatically, than ever before in our lifetimes. Let’s wake up and get with it! Continue the stewardship on the leading edge!

Fix it and keep it clean. Virtual experiences, virtual professional collaboration, virtual fitness, virtual entertainment, virtual shopping, virtual learning, virtual medical and social counseling. All newly bursting, expanding at extraordinary rates. Not new, revolutionary and seamlessly combining with the walkabout, talkabout that restrained the mind, the accessibility, the mobility of the reality of the American dream. A ramble and a rest!

Much can be achieved within the bounds of our existing four walls, and much is already being achieved. Keep the space clean and fix anything that needs fixing. Good stewardship. Predictably so. The built environment. More than a place to go, a place to live and dream.

Step one - ubiquitous hot spots. Secure omni high speed Wi-Fi with redundancy, backup generator, and a few affordable tweaks. Big screen. Smart space HVAC. Fresh air. Water. Quietude. Space to spare. News ribbons. Lights in motion. Accommodating seating and relaxing and sleeping commons. Benches and bathrooms. How many steps have you taken. How do you do!

The library, the studio, performance space, dining together, alone, nature, meditation, exercise, thinking in silence and talking out loud. And big screens for yoga, dance, spinners, movies, concerts, opera. All for entertainment and socializing. Club rooms are here to stay, only different, changing. Keep it clean, fixed, changing.

Our disabled and physically challenged, our elderly, our kids, our pets. Do not leave them behind or in the corner. A lot is services, on-site and off site, and from trucks and buses. Senior living has pioneered outreach and accommodation for wellness, wellbeing, safety, security, convenience and entertainment. Stewards do concierge and have been for survival and sustenance. It’s our job. The vitality of the built environment is a social responsibility.

Let’s do an audit, or not; an edit, or not so much; be a curator, ombudsperson; rejuvenate and reward the gardener, share and care, watch and glare, stare at our outdoor space. Make more, and make the outdoors user friendly. Actively and passively.

Public benches and bathrooms. Charging stations. Infrastructure.

Open up, look beyond, over and back, remember, dream.

Preserve, conserve, go wild. Embrace the reality of the changes in the American dream!

David Kirk is founder, chief executive officer of Kirk & Co., Boston, Mass.