Returning to the office is a key to recovering from the pandemic. This is especially so in urban areas, where downtown life — known as central business districts (CBDs) — are cultural and economic hubs. There are three “losers” of hybrid work: public transportation, food service and CBDs. These represent the backbone of urban landscapes.
Office occupancy is well below pre-pandemic levels worldwide. For example, New York City is 52 percent below, London 42 percent, Singapore 21 percent, and Frankfurt 20 percent.
But, get this: The Washington Post reports that less than 25 percent of Washington, D.C. employees have returned to the office. The nation’s capital, brimming with museums and clubs and tip-top restaurants and 24 million visitors from around the world each year, has only one in four people back in the office? That is not sustainable.
The D.C. metropolitan region is returning to the office more slowly than other international urban areas. Despite the unpredictable nature of COVID-19, local officials are pressing for safe reentry to office buildings, hoping these employees will resuscitate stagnating economic sectors such as retail and hospitality.
After working remotely from kitchen tables and basement playrooms for 20 months, migrating back to the office represents a significant lifestyle shift. Employees no longer connect work and office, and that poses a challenge for employers. A recent COVID-19 Snapshot survey of Washington, Baltimore and Richmond metro...
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