![]() ![]() In some cases, these programs are initiated internally and are implemented solely within a single company. As we continue to explore the reasons why we want to return to the office, the ability of the office to provide a unique experience that you can’t get in a remote setting routinely shows up at the top of this list - and art is critical to these enhanced experiences. Primarily geared towards visual artists, environmental graphic designers, and digital content creators, residencies connect companies with local artists, inviting them in to create installations that evoke delight and enhance the visual character of the workplace. “Outside In” approaches might help to mitigate the effects of market displacements - especially the displacement of creative communities. These partnerships could be brokered by either party or, in some cases, by a designer who brings them both to the table. These types of solutions are more collaborative, involving partnerships between organizations and communities. The “Outside In” approach tackles the displacement of small businesses and communities by designing spaces and programs that literally bring people and local organizations into the building. By creating a public-facing space that’s contiguous with the workplace, you dismantle the physical barriers between the office and the city, mitigating the “fortress effect” of workplaces that detach themselves from the city activity below. These spaces, a few of which were piloted pre-pandemic, are becoming increasingly sophisticated, acting as hospitality-driven coworking spaces, membership experience centers, and semi-enclosed parks. What happens when you bring a company’s physical workplace down to the city sidewalk? You get the Storefront, a space designed to interface between public and private, between employees and the community at large. These solutions can be both physical and virtual, initiated by companies with subsequent engagement of community stakeholders. The “Inside Out” approach involves designing spaces that extend company culture from the workplace to the street - workplace amenities to be enjoyed by the community. In thinking about how these spaces might be programmed, we can approach this challenge in two operational ways: 1) an “inside-out” approach, which extends the spaces and programs of the workplace out to the street and 2) an “outside-in” approach, which brings the surrounding community in. According to Gensler’s 2023 City Pulse Survey, people who feel that their CBD provides a great experience are 79% more likely to say that their city provides a great experience.Īnd who better to participate in these reimagining efforts than the companies whose workplaces occupy the towers that soar above us as we walk down the street? Given our current - and lasting - focus on equity and opportunity, there’s no better time to program these pedestrian-facing spaces in a way that connects workplace with community, harnessing our financial and human capital to enhance the urban experience for all. At this moment, we still have a fantastic opportunity to reimagine the ground floor of our cities - reinventing these sidewalk-facing storefronts as multiuse destinations that serve the community, not just single-use spaces that cater solely to the daytime workforce.Ĭollectively, these revitalization efforts will enhance the overall experience of being in central business districts (CBDs), which in turn has the ability to reset perception of cities - especially those cities whose reputations took the hardest hit since 2020. Perhaps this hesitancy is coming from a place of anxiety, but perhaps - more optimistically - we’re collectively figuring out how we want to shape our cities of the future. The resultant patchwork of activity and dormancy signals our hesitancy to return to city life as we once knew it. They’re reminders that we’re still living in uncertain times - with continued uncertainty around ever-evolving work behaviors, shifting models of retail, and the potential economic impact of global, geopolitical unrest. Some storefronts and lobbies still lay dormant, however. Many of us are heading back into central business districts in increasing numbers and with increasing frequency, spurring the reawakening of some of the restaurants, shops, and offices that sat vacant during the early days of the pandemic. ![]()
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