Designing more sustainable cities in a post pandemic world

Transitioning out of the office and into the home office

In the early months of the COVID 19 pandemic, many people found themselves repurposing areas of their homes so that they had a workstation of some kind. That could mean setting up shop on the kitchen table, using virtual backgrounds so they can work from the couch, or dusting off a long neglected home office space to finally use it for its intended purpose. For many, this also meant sharing both resources and newly imagined "work space" with other members of the family. This move toward working from home was not without its challenges, but it did have some unforeseen positive impacts on many major cities. According to government reported statistics, the number of Americans working from home doubled between 2019 and 2020, showing a dramatic increase from 22 percent to 42 percent. There was a notable increase in productivity as well, despite concerns over whether or not working alongside family and other cohabitants would ultimately result in a less productive workforce. The difference in productivity actually seems to stem from the elimination of the daily commute. According to research, Americans spent, on the whole, about 62.5 million hours less on a daily basis in transit after the work from home shift prompted by the pandemic. This meant more time being actively productive during working hours.

What does the shift to working from home have to do with designing more sustainable cities? There are  important takeaways that can inform design initiatives in the future.

With the shift from everyday commute to a hybrid or an entirely work from home setting, time spent in the office environment can be reduced dramatically without any adverse impact on productivity, which means unused office spaces could have entirely new applications in the future for example being turned into new residential buildings, gyms and more. 

Eliminating the commute or reducing the hours spent commuting has a potentially favorable impact on the environment. Currently, with the push to right the economy and return everyone to work, the levels of carbon emissions have returned  nearly to the levels reported in 2019. This doesn't even take into account the mental health implications of gaining a few hours that would have been spent stressing in traffic. Fewer commuters means fewer cars and fewer emissions.

Spaces in the home can be used for working and outside spaces, including parks or even privately owned small businesses with available space, can be used for collaboration. With the advent of Zoom meetings and other virtual applications for collaboration, the need for large conference rooms has diminished almost entirely. Who doesn't like having control over the office thermostat?

Removing the necessity of commuting to an office means a different set of criteria to consider when choosing suitable housing. New construction might provide soundproofing in home offices or acoustic panels to eliminate echoes and sound interference. People who used to think of an apartment as just a place to sleep and shower might be taking a closer look at the available amenities going forward. With a great number of restaurants closing due to staffing issues, people began cooking at home more frequently or ordering groceries, which means that a serviceable kitchen could be on a list of "must haves" when it used to matter less to people with an entire city full of diverse culinary offerings.

Fewer cars on the road during the "rush hour" means fewer accidents, fewer emergency services needed, and less time sitting in traffic, pumping pollution into our atmosphere. Beyond the environmental implications, this could lead to increased opportunities for bike transportation, walking spaces and generally, other alternatives to owning a car in a congested area. According to published data, 91.3% of American households have at least one car.

Repurposing public spaces such as parks or local cafes could also have a positive impact on the overall population. This may look like freely available exercise equipment in public parks, standing desks inside and outside popular cafes, or even high-speed Internet hubs where people can congregate and be productive.  The pandemic changed almost everything about how we socialize and working as part of a team is inherently social.

Many Americans were blindsided by the pandemic and forced to reevaluate their living and working environments. Transitions can be challenging. However, there just may be some change in the works that can have a lasting, positive impact for generations to come. Less time spent commuting can mean fewer cars on our roadways and less pollution in our air. More productivity at work translates to economic gains whether the work is being done at home or in an alternative space for collaborative efforts. Remote work is here to stay and is expected to ripple through the landscape of many cities for years to come.