Futurist and economist Rebecca Ryan recently told an attentive group of Arlington officials, design professionals, residents and UT Arlington students and faculty that cities in the U.S. are going through an economic winter.

Ryan, who is also the founder of Next Generation Consulting, told the audience that cities should plan with Generation Y in mind.

Planning for the Next Generation

In the past, Ryan said during her January speech at UTA, cities first developed neighborhoods then planned for the people to come.

Now cities must understand their future buyers, then design neighborhoods that cater to them, she said.

To better understand this feat, Ryan worked with Walton Development and Management, a land management and development company that aims to create lasting places for current and future generations.

To gain the voice of millennials, Ryan said they worked with organizations such as Vision Fort Worth, which aims to helping young individuals succeed in their occupations.

The first thing Ryan and Walton Development and Management learned was that for Generation Y, community is primary and housing is secondary.

Women are having more financial influence in their families than they've had before, she said.

Also, the five stepping stones of adulthood, which include finding a career, moving out of parents' homes, finishing school, getting married and starting a family, are things Generation Y has pushed back.

"These five milestones of adulthood really impact how we build our cities," Ryan said.

Ryan also discovered that Generation Y is concerned about the environment and is politically purple.

That said, cities like Arlington need to build with the future in mind.

"We need to rethink the materials we use to build out infrastructure," Ryan said. "We have to think how to get people from place to place."

Arlington City Manager Trey Yelverton, who was in attendance, said it is important for cities to learn from their past to understand which directions to move in the future.

"Cities are made of all generations, and we need to focus on how we offer community to those individuals," Yelverton said.

Barbara Becker, UT Arlington School of Urban and Public Affairs dean, said one of the most important aspects about Ryan's speech was that Baby Boomers still have an ability to make a positive impact on future cities.