Convert all the empty offices to apartments. Solves housing supply problems, makes a lot of dense units instead of sprawl, puts them right next to any of the offices that have reopened, and would make the owners of the office buildings happy so they’d hopefully get out of the way of WFH (if they’re doing any lobbying or propaganda or whatnot).
I know it’s too expensive to be worth it, but it’s a perfect thing for governments to give grants for since it has so many benefits.
It’s happening a bit in Canada.
Projects are undervway in Calgary and Halifax; others are being planned or debated in Toronto, London, Ont., and Yellowknife.
one issue is that offices tend to have 1 bathroom per floor, and the internal plumbing to match, and apartments need roughly a bathroom every 4 rooms. That really matters when you have 15 floors and you’re adding inlet and outlets filled with water, it drastically affects the weight and design of the building.
it might be easier, cheaper and safer to demolish and rebuild rather than convert.
Convert all the empty offices to apartments. Solves housing supply problems, makes a lot of dense units instead of sprawl, puts them right next to any of the offices that have reopened, and would make the owners of the office buildings happy so they’d hopefully get out of the way of WFH (if they’re doing any lobbying or propaganda or whatnot).
I know it’s too expensive to be worth it, but it’s a perfect thing for governments to give grants for since it has so many benefits.
It’s happening a bit in Canada.
From here
one issue is that offices tend to have 1 bathroom per floor, and the internal plumbing to match, and apartments need roughly a bathroom every 4 rooms. That really matters when you have 15 floors and you’re adding inlet and outlets filled with water, it drastically affects the weight and design of the building.
it might be easier, cheaper and safer to demolish and rebuild rather than convert.
Multiple such projects are underway in my Midwestern US city.
That’s a great idea, I hope other communities follow.