Read: 11/2020, Source
- We must keep building today for the downtowns of tomorrow. The Covid-19 crisis will pass and the economy will recover. People will return to offices, eat in restaurants, gather at bars, travel and stay in hotels. After all, most of us are social creatures drawn to vibrant city life.
- Real estate developers aren’t stopping; we are adapting.
- There’s a common denominator across the industry: safety first.
- Here’s what it looks like: More square footage and outdoor spaces so workers, residents, diners and shoppers aren’t on top of each other. Touchless environments where hand gestures will operate everything from doors to elevators to bathroom fixtures. HVAC systems with cutting-edge air filtration. High-tech sanitation systems ranging from hydrogen peroxide halos to bipolar ionization.
- According to a survey released in October by Morning Consult, 42% of U.S. adults said they are comfortable dining out now, the highest share since June.
- Another poll by Atom Tickets asked folks if they’d go to movie theaters when they reopen, and only 1% said never. Nearly 60% said they’d return immediately or within a month.
- Hotels will normalize, too. Occupancy rates have slowly risen to over 48% nationwide.
- Our downtowns represent the vital heartbeat of urban America. They may be quiet today, but they will roar back to life tomorrow.