We are undeniably living in remarkable times. The meteoric rise of Artificial Intelligence has taken the world by storm, igniting both excitement and anxiety. On one hand AI promises to tackle some of our most urgent challenges, from health to climate change, on the other hand, it poses profound questions about what our future may look like in the next 10-20 years.
With recent studies finding that up to 49% of U.S. workers could see AI automate half or more of their tasks (1), the impact of AI on the workforce is a pressing concern.
(2) TECHNOLOGY ADAPTATION, 2023-2027: Technologies ranked by the share of organizations surveyed who are likely or highly likely to adopt this technology over the next 5 years // SOURCE: World Economic Forum, Future of Jobs Survey 2023
Having a job, “being good at something”, has always been a pillar of personal identity and a cornerstone of social engagement. Yet, recent technological advancements risk to reduce our need of human-to-human interaction, reshaping the traditional role of workplace as a social connector.
The decline in office interactions over the past few years has been stark. Work-from-home has become a permanent fixture for many, diminishing the social aspect of the work environment. As a result the vibrancy of U.S. Central Business Districts, a sign of the nation's economic vigor and a testament to urban life, has dwindled post-Covid. A study on mobile location data from the University of Toronto's School of Cities (3), reveals that, as of December 2022, while a few downtowns in medium-sized cities have seen activity levels even higher than pre-pandemic, downtowns in major urban centers continue to stagnate all across North America.
(3) RANKING OF DOWNTOWNS FOR LARGE CITIES // SOURCE: University of Toronto's School of Cities
A response to the recent downturn of urban vibrancy could be found in the personal dimension: our sense of community.
The shift away from traditional workspace dynamics to more isolated work has coincided with a surge in loneliness in the United States. The U.S. Surgeon General, Dr. Vivek H. Murthy, in a recent report titled “Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation” (4) emphasizes the impact of social isolation not only on individual health but more broadly on community well-being, resilience, and economic prosperity. Dr. Vivek H. Murthy, along with a growing number of urban planners and local stakeholders, stresses the need of investing in Social Infrastructure to rekindle urban vibrancy and support a stronger sense of community.
(4) A NATIONAL STRATEGY: The Six Pillars to Advance Social Connection // SOURCE: Office of the U.S. Surgeon General
The pressing need to recalibrate the single-use nature of downtown financial districts to a more balanced mix of uses that promote social interaction and community life is reflected in the recent recommendations for Downtown San Francisco put forward by the Urban Land Institute (5). By promoting safe and reliable public transit, equitable housing, community services, and cultural venues, these recommendations aim to infuse a new life and purpose to the downtown, fostering a community that thrives on social connection.
(5) PLACEMAKING AND PROGRAMMING: The reimagined Downtown Financial District features areas dedicated to wellness, families, arts, entertainment, and culture. // SOURCE: ULI / Perkins&Will
In a post-pandemic world, we find ourselves starving for genuine human interaction. As we navigate the profound transformations of employment and the shifting dynamics of urban life, our enduring need for connection persists, underscoring the key role of urban spaces as a platform for social connection. By embracing and celebrating the local history, culture, and unique character, we can infuse new life into our downtowns, elevating them to thriving hubs of community and culture beyond the traditional workweek. Now, more than ever, it is critical that we focus our efforts on urban interventions that offer accessible, enriching, diverse, and inclusive experiences, and nurture a stronger sense of community.
(1) Eloundou, T., Manning, S., Mishkin, P., & Rock, D. (2023). GPTs are GPTs: An Early Look at the Labor Market Impact Potential of Large Language Models. Retrieved from https://ar5iv.org/pdf/2303.10130.pdf
(2) World Economic Forum (2023). Future of Jobs Report 2023 - Insight Report May 2023. Retrieved from https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Future_of_Jobs_2023.pdf
(3) Chapple, K., Florida, R., & Baum-Snow, N. (2022). Downtown Recovery: Downtown is for people. University of Toronto's School of Cities - Volume 2: Issue 3. Retrieved from https://schoolofcities.utoronto.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/CityResearchInsights_v2.3.pdf
(4) Office of the U.S. Surgeon General (2023). Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation: The U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory on the Healing Effects of Social Connection and Community. Retrieved from https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/surgeon-general-social-connection-advisory.pdf
(5) Urban Land Institute (2023). San Francisco Downtown Revitalization: A ULI Advisory Services Panel Report. Retrieved from https://knowledge.uli.org/-/media/files/advisory-service-panels/2023/uli-asp-san-francisco-downtown-final.pdf?rev=7b6e6771f0d74f288aad495d3878b752&hash=C4C9B058BFC616BBE2430360251BE69E