With the arrival of COVID, downtowns in many major cities shut down, almost to the breaking point, as staffers began working from their homes. Even though many have returned, a number of experts believe that the new normal for office buildings will be hybrid schedule, with workers coming in two or three days a week. That means that the need for office space will decline and—perhaps most important for the health of downtowns—the daytime populations will remain lower than in the past.

• Publication date: February 2024
• Authors: Richard Greene and Katherine Barrett