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Start with an easily accessible urban enclave. Add mixed-use developments including retail, restaurants, residential, office and more. Build in technology in the form of energy optimization tools, handheld scanners and QR codes. Insert pocket parks and striking architectural markers and monuments. Sprinkle in cultural centers and performance venues. Conclude with future-oriented urban planning and architecture.
The result? The modern urban hub, best reflected in recently developed neighborhoods such as Hudson Yards in Manhattan, Brickell City Center in Miami and Springline in Menlo Park, California. Intended as centralized locations for all-in-one and highly walkable city living, urban hubs are ideal for people who like to have everything they need or want close at hand, to better engage community and reduce travel times.
Oakridge Park
The phenomenon is not limited to the US. Case in point: Oakridge Park, a new urban hub in Vancouver, BC, Canada that will be unveiled in March 2026. Spanning 28 hectares, Oakridge Park will include more than 5 million square meters of land surrounding a nearly 9-hectare park. The hub’s residential towers will accommodate 3,000 homes. And Oakridge Park will also offer 60,000 square feet of retail space, a two-acre Time Out Market, Vancouver’s second largest library, office space and a community center.
Urban hubs are moving forward because people are realizing that time is their most valuable asset, said Irene Quan, vice president of marketing and sales for Oakridge Park.
“People want to combine commuting, grocery shopping, work and play into a single, walkable environment that saves time and increases productivity and enjoyment,” she says, noting that these hubs are in harmony with sustainability goals, talent acquisition and public transportation that enables a “car-light” lifestyle. “Businesses and residents are drawn to places where convenience, community and quality of life are naturally integrated,” she adds.
Spring line
Developed by Presidio Bay Ventures, Springline is a 15-acre mixed-use enclave in downtown Menlo Park, within walking distance of the Caltrain Station. The hub combines residences, hospitality-inspired offices and a vibrant mix of restaurants in what is billed as Silicon Valley’s premier live-work-play corner. “The rise of mixed-use hubs like Springline reflects a broader shift in the way people want to live, work and connect,” said Cyrus Sanandaji, founder and director of Presidio Bay. “Access to delicious food, outdoor spaces and places to gather is not a luxury, it is a necessity.”
Presidio Bay believes that the strongest urban hubs elevate the experience by creating environments that breed connection, flexibility and well-being. The longevity of such habitats depends on the ability to serve the surrounding existing urban environment, attract visitors and contribute to the city in a way that fully integrates the hub into the cultural fabric of the area.
One Beverly Hills
Described as a mixed-use urban resort, Cain International’s One Beverly Hills is a multi-billion dollar condominium and hotel community that is reshaping the skyline of Beverly Hills, California. The hub offers 10 acres of botanical gardens, open space, walking and biking trails, upscale shopping and restaurants in a walkable neighborhood.
“People want more from the places they live and spend time,” said Jonathan Goldstein, CEO and co-founder of Cain. “They are looking for environments that combine convenience, safety, culture and a sense of belonging.”
Urban hubs are far from perfect. For example, those who object to living in Hudson Yards complain about the high cost of rental and owner-occupied housing; a construction of feeling continues around someone’s offices and/or homes; and the impression of isolation, accompanied by the absence of a real sense of neighborhood.
But supporters argue that flexibility will be an essential part of these enclaves. Oakridge Park’s Quan says: “The best strategy is adaptability and authenticity. Building in flexibility so that uses can shift over time, phasing development to learn and adapt, and anchoring design and programming in the city’s own character so that people feel a real connection.”
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