From Milan to Dubai: How Urban Design in 2026 Responds to the Challenges of the Times

From Milan to Dubai: How Urban Design in 2026 Responds to the Challenges of Our Times

When we talk about urban design, we often focus on the buildings themselves, but what truly matters is often the social functions and long-term impacts they carry. In 2026, SOM, one of the world's most influential design firms, will celebrate its 90th anniversary. In the coming year, SOM has released 13 noteworthy projects, ranging from a bus station in Chicago to an artificial island in Dubai, from the Olympic Village in Milan to a public health laboratory in New York. These projects not only showcase cutting-edge design technology, but also reveal a shift in thinking among global cities as they address core challenges such as climate change, public health, educational equity, and the legacy of major events.

The Legacy of Major Events: No Longer "Disposable"

Among this list, the most striking trend is the redefinition of the "legacy of major events." Take Milan as an example: after the 2026 Winter Olympics, the athletes' village was converted in just four months into Italy's largest student housing project. Located on the redeveloped Porta Romana railway site, this building complex was completed in just 30 months—30 days ahead of schedule. This model breaks the curse of the Olympic "white elephant," transforming temporary needs into long-term urban assets. A similar logic appears on Phu Quoc Island, Vietnam. The waterfront vision plan designed for the 2027 APEC Summit aims to turn the area into a new urban cultural and business district, integrating a convention center, arena, and hotels, serving 15,000 participants in the future as well as subsequent tourism and commercial activities. These projects show that design is no longer simply about construction, but about pre-arranging urban life for the coming decades.

Public Health and Education: Design as Social Investment

Another core trend is the importance that public institutions place on spatial design. In Harlem, New York, a 240,000-square-foot public health laboratory is about to be put into use. The building features both highly secure laboratory spaces and open access to the community, offering rapid testing and teaching laboratories to encourage local students to pursue careers in healthcare and science. Its design combines a glass cube with a diagonal metal grid, with floors stepping upward to ensure that internal spaces can flexibly adapt as science and technology evolve. In the Bronx, the first self-built campus of Success Academy will welcome 2,400 students. Based on the concept of a "scholar's spine," the building forms a continuous public corridor on each floor, encouraging interaction across grade levels, and places the college preparatory office in a prominent position to remind students of their ultimate goal. These cases point to the same conclusion: public buildings are becoming investment vehicles for social services and human capital.

Cultural Expression and Commercial Residential: Maintaining Regional Identity in GlobalizationIn terms of cultural expression, the Friday Mosque at Palm Jebel Ali in Dubai offers new imaginative possibilities for religious architecture. Drawing from the traditional Islamic courtyard (sahn), the design team used a chainmail-style canopy to filter sunlight and capture sea breezes, creating a serene and open space. The choice of white concrete and limestone responds to the durability demands of the marine climate. Meanwhile, the 400 Lake Shore project in Chicago reinterprets the classic Chicago window, employing a unitized curtain wall system to shape a new skyline along the shores of Lake Michigan at nearly 900 feet in height, while providing more than 1,700 residential units in response to the housing needs of the central city.

The Everydayness of Infrastructure: A Renewal Not to Be Forgotten

Of course, urban renewal also goes hand in hand with infrastructure upgrades. Chicago's historic State/Lake station is set to undergo renovation to improve the commuting experience. Although details are still being refined, it reminds us that urban design is not only about skyscrapers and major landmarks, but also about every single journey made by daily commuters.

Conclusion

Together, these projects form a picture of the urban landscape of 2026. They vary in scale and location, yet all embody the core principle of "design for people and planet." From temporary Olympic villages to permanent communities, from laboratories to mosques, what SOM presents is not merely architectural diversity, but also the evolving role of design in addressing complex challenges. As cities around the world seek transformation under multiple pressures—climate, health, and social inequality—these projects from 2026 may offer paths worth learning from.