Many cities are fighting the urban ‘doom loop’ by turning empty offices into 24/7 social districts [Video]

As remote work cements its grip on the white-collar workforce, North American downtowns are working to fight off a downward spiral.

Many are attempting the transition from office-only districts to mixed-use neighborhoods with new residents and businesses. But breathing new life into areas dominated by half-empty office buildings is proving challenging.

A newly updated report from the University of Toronto analyzing anonymized cellphone data shows the largest North American downtowns have generally seen a gradual uptick in foot traffic over the past year.

Many cities are working to turn vacant offices into homes, give restaurants and other businesses tax breaks to move downtown, and otherwise turn office districts into vibrant neighborhoods. But it takes time.

“Downtowns are going through this painful transformation to 24/7 social districts from being office districts,” said Karen Chapple, the director of the School of Cities at the University of Toronto and a coauthor of the downtown-recovery study.

The researchers found that while most cities …