Workers, students, companies and travelers re-embrace the city center

While at-home work and a shift away from city centers was widely embraced during the throes of the pandemic, recent data points suggest a “great return” is in motion, according to JLL.

City centers have historically served as the cultural and commercial heart of cities and, as William Shakespeare once said, “What is the city but the people?” This statement resonates now more than ever as cities are being reawakened and re-embraced by the workers, students and companies that call them home.

As of April, many big tech and financial corporations have called employees back to the office, and that should have a trickle effect for medium size and small firms to follow suit. Recent badge scans indicate a nearly 42 percent average occupancy by month-end. This is up markedly compared with April 2021, when national office occupancy hovered around 26 percent, and April 2020, when the United States was only at 8 percent occupancy. Sun Belt markets are leading the way, with