NEW FOCUS WILL CAUSE REDESIGN AND
REBUILDING, DISPLACING OLD FORMATS.
Space utilization has taken on immediate importance
for tenants and landlords during COVID-19. In “Space
Utilization and the Built Environment,” published in the
latest issue of Real Estate Issues by The Counselors of Real
Estate, authors Tomáš Ctibor, CRE, and Thomas Wootten,
CRE, predict:
• In place of old retail formats, designs will center on
walkability and integration of uses, enabling continued normalcy in case of subsequent lockdown orders.
Intentional design will combine social connectedness
with physical distancing and integrate residential, office, retail, and public spaces in a way that resembles the
design of older European cities.
• Suburban office blocks will experience reinvestment
they haven’t seen for many years.
• The focus on mechanical systems will result in redesign
and rebuilding projects to improve air quality and reduce transmission of airborne particulates.
• The public’s growing comfort with online grocery
shopping will reduce the need for large-format grocery
stores, as consumers turn to smaller specialized markets
and make direct connections with food producers.
