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January 8, 2026

Our Hopes for the Built Environment in 2026

The METROPOLIS team shares what they want to see shape the built environment in the year ahead.

By: Metropolis Editors

What is your biggest hope for architecture and design in 2026?

Avi Rajagopal

Editor in Chief

My biggest hope is that we will see regenerative materials and building systems grow in popularity and acceptance, inspiring new forms of expression in architecture and design.

Travis Ward

Design Director

My hope is that all the constraints recently put on architecture and design pushes it to be more innovative with regenerative materials, adaptive reuse, and human-centered systems making a better built environment that is both beautiful and responsible. 

Lauren Volker

Senior Editor and Project Manager

My hope is that architecture and design lean fully into their power to care for people—helping us connect, supporting our minds and bodies, and enriching everyday life in ways both seen and felt, all while respecting the world we share.

Jax Stone

Associate Editor and Researcher

My biggest hope is for more American cities to build more truly affordable housing, and without any toxic building materials.

Kelly Allen

Director, Programs & Partnerships

My hope for architecture and design in 2026 is a more rigorous commitment to human-centered, community-informed practice that prioritizes empathy, equity, and lasting social impact.

Francisco Brown

Senior Editor and Engagement Manager

I hope for the courage to change our minds—to listen with intention, broaden our field of vision, and reassert that inclusion and the environment are core responsibilities of architecture and design.

Kennedy Dean

Events Project Manager

My hope is that architecture and design continue to lead with purpose, positively shaping how we live through more sustainable, inclusive, and thoughtful spaces.

Verda Alexander

Editor at Large

My hope for 2026 is that we really start to see sustainable design as beautiful and unsustainable projects as untenable. 

Paige Miller

Graphic Designer, Creative Services

I hope architecture and design in 2026 feel more human, more sustainable, and more connected to the people and places they’re made for.

Sophie Sobol

Assistant Editor

This year, I would love to see more innovation and quality design for affordable housing to nurture healthy and inclusive city living.

Bobby Pracek

Designer

My hope is that we rethink how we build on open land and instead transform ‘dead’ spaces—like old parking lots—into vibrant landscapes that host more plant life than before.

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