Planning for a work- from- home future

New York’s lockdown, causing the shutdown of its cafes and offices, left the city’s subway system with a $ 16 billion dollar shortfall.

Covid- 19, which has forced more and more people to work from home highlights that office use is on a steep decline. Companies such as Microsoft, Zoom, Google, Meet and Cisco have 300 million workers, all able to work from home as are those involved in civil courts, banks, law, and accountancy.

To avoid the pressures on children by having two parents working, which the high cost of housing has brought about, Germany has introduced a fourday working week.

Before the government embarks on grandiose public transport systems and four- lane highways between major centres, it needs to factor in the changing city centre office scenario which could leave such major public transport and motorway systems significantly unused monuments to town planners’ lack of vision.