This comment makes me think about my time in Germany, where social ties are stronger within villages because of the dynamic of using their city centers in a more residential, pro-social way.
Downtown SF hasn’t made this post-Covid adjustment, and I’ve heard that it’s often a ghost town because it’s still catering to an audience that no longer exists.
That sounds right. Anecdotally, I think Europe is better on this entire issue. 1) Europe is more than twice as population dense as the US. 2) it’s older Ana was built before our modern car obsession and urban sprawl obsession. Any other reasons?
I think a move from more commercial city centers to more residential city centers will, at worst, be the same and, at best, be a vast improvement to the city social dynamics. By social dynamics, I mean diversity, social integration, pro-social behavior, and social activities (entertainment, leisure, etc.). I think this happens because land use and businesses can focus more on people who inhabit an area 24/7 as opposed to merely 9-5. For example, imagine a city center with restaurants designed to cater to all audiences at all times as opposed to being exclusively focused on the work lunch crowd. I wrote a bit about how social dynamics can be used by cities to attract more people in remote world: https://time.com/6168289/cities-attracting-remote-workers/
This comment makes me think about my time in Germany, where social ties are stronger within villages because of the dynamic of using their city centers in a more residential, pro-social way.
Downtown SF hasn’t made this post-Covid adjustment, and I’ve heard that it’s often a ghost town because it’s still catering to an audience that no longer exists.
That sounds right. Anecdotally, I think Europe is better on this entire issue. 1) Europe is more than twice as population dense as the US. 2) it’s older Ana was built before our modern car obsession and urban sprawl obsession. Any other reasons?
A weaker corporate lobbying culture. Western European politicians tend to be more transparent and receptive to public demand.
How do you think the shift in office work will affect the social framework of the city?
I think a move from more commercial city centers to more residential city centers will, at worst, be the same and, at best, be a vast improvement to the city social dynamics. By social dynamics, I mean diversity, social integration, pro-social behavior, and social activities (entertainment, leisure, etc.). I think this happens because land use and businesses can focus more on people who inhabit an area 24/7 as opposed to merely 9-5. For example, imagine a city center with restaurants designed to cater to all audiences at all times as opposed to being exclusively focused on the work lunch crowd. I wrote a bit about how social dynamics can be used by cities to attract more people in remote world: https://time.com/6168289/cities-attracting-remote-workers/