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Traditional downtowns are dead or dying in many US cities − what's next for these zones?
(theconversation.com)
I dunno, maybe actually affordable housing?
this post was submitted on 27 Sep 2023
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yes, totally. Infastructure, transportation and communal spaces are already there, would be perfect for housing.
People will complain about how office buildings are too difficult to convert into housing, but that's not true in all cases. Many office buildings are very suitable to be turned into housing. If even half of them underwent conversion that would be a huge step.
I think the real problem is it isn't super profitable to do this, so there's not much will to do it.
My abstract for the linked article
Click to expand
Traditional downtowns are struggling across North America in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Remote work has reduced commuter numbers and foot traffic, leading to rising vacancy rates, store closures, and economic hardship. Decades of overbuilding office space prior to the pandemic exacerbated the problem. Now, many workers are resisting full-time returns to offices, weakening the customer base for downtown businesses. Washington D.C. faces large budget shortfalls from declining revenues. While some cities are converting office space to housing or specialized uses, repurposing has challenges. Other approaches include promoting events and small businesses.
Ultimately, the nation may no longer need as much office space, requiring communities to envision new uses for their downtowns beyond the office blocks of the 20th century.
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