🏠 Building Blocks - Week 19
ESG Real Estate Laboratory
Real Estate | Finance | Education | UrbanInnovation | Internships | Future Cities | Sustainability
🔹 From the Editor
Welcome to Building Blocks! Where we explore real estate, technology, smart cities, and the future of urban living.
This week, we spotlight Egypt’s New Administrative Capital — a bold, AI-powered smart city rising from the desert, with a scale and ambition that reflect how real estate, sustainability, and technology are converging. It's the newest addition to our Future Cities Series, where we feature one new city every Thursday.
We're also tracking the rapid evolution of real estate technology — from digital listings to AI-driven property management — and how these tools are reshaping the way we build, lease, and live. Whether you're an investor, operator, or developer, tech is no longer a bolt-on — it’s foundational.
Finally, a sneak peek: our upcoming Gen Z research report is almost here. In the meantime, we’re looking at how this new renter generation is redefining expectations — prioritizing community, design, and immersive experiences over traditional housing models.
Stay with us as we explore what’s next. Let’s build smarter.
— Johan Tellvik
🌍 Future Cities – New Admin Capital, Egypt 🌿🚀
Rising from the desert east of Cairo, Egypt’s New Administrative Capital (NAC) is one of the most ambitious smart city projects on Earth—merging heritage with hypermodern design! 🏗️ Mega-Scale Vision: Spanning 700 km² with room for 6.5M+ people. 📡 Smart by Default: AI-driven infrastructure, fiber-optic networks, and solar-powered buildings. 🏥 Social Infrastructure at Scale: 2,000 schools, 600+ hospitals and clinics. 🌱 Sustainability Engineered: 100% treated wastewater for irrigation, solar farms, EV infrastructure, and AI-optimized resource management align with global green benchmarks. Egypt’s NAC is more than a city—it’s a statement of intent. A bold vision for sustainable, inclusive, tech-empowered urban futures.
🚀 Gen-Z: What do they really want?
From baby boomers to Gen Xers to millennials, American professionals used to have a somewhat common trajectory. Young adults graduated, moved to the city and rented a basic apartment. Eventually, the city became a community.
Not so for some Gen Zers, who are opting for a new urban way of life: Hunkering down in amenity-rich, high-design rental complexes that offer not just a place to live, but also a self-contained world that creates its own instant community.
🚀 Tech Corner: Real estate digital transformation
It was only 20 years ago that people relied on static paper ads and driving around neighborhoods searching for "For Rent" signs. Then came Zillow in 2006, and it helped revolutionize the real estate market by introducing the Zestimate feature, which provides a price estimate for a specific home. And a study found 80% of Gen Z are influenced by social media—which can include decision-making about their next rental.
In just a couple of decades, the real estate landscape has transformed drastically. We're living in the era of digital real estate, where technology has ushered in a wave of change, redefining how people discover, buy and rent properties. And as an entrepreneur deeply rooted in real estate and technology, I've witnessed this revolution.
🚀 Tech Corner: 28 great real estate tech firms
Real estate technology companies are constantly growing and changing with the housing market. When it comes to staying up to date on major players in the industry, there are plenty to sift through. Here are some real estate technology companies to keep an eye on.
🌍 Future Cities – Our Library 🌿🚀
📌 INTRODUCING OUR GLOBAL FUTURE CITIES LIBRARY 🌍 ✨
A new smart city added EVERY THURSDAY
Smart cities that focus on...
📍 Innovation and cutting-edge technology
📍 Sustainability and environmental leadership
📍 Smart mobility and digital transformation
📍 Resilience and climate adaptation
📍 Equity, inclusion, and thriving communities
📍 Cultural vitality and creative urban design
#SmartCities #RealEstate #PropTech #GenZ #UrbanDevelopment #DigitalTransformation #FutureCities #ESG #Sustainability #CRE #Innovation #BuildingBlocks