Some businesses are rethinking their downtown office space as more Canadians get used to the idea of working home. But is this the new normal?
It may seem quiet now, but one expert says downtown is far from dead.
Matti Siemiatycki is the Interim Director of the University of Toronto's School of Cities. He expects that once the pandemic is over, the downtown will come alive again.
"I think cities will continue to be strong and people will return to the downtown because there is a value to being close-by and...to collaboration," he explains.
He also thinks people will continue to live in the downtown core because they like to be in great communities with access to amenities.
Some of the changes we've seen may be here to stay.
"Through the pandemic you've seen a major increase in cycling and walking," Matti Siemiatycki explains. "With appropriate public policy we could start to see a major transition in how people travel around our city, towards more active transportation."