IT’S NO SURPRISE that single-use downtown business districts are struggling to adapt to the current hybrid work model. The traditional 9-to-5 workday based in a central business district was already losing appeal to workers before the pandemic necessitated the rapid shift to remote work. This sudden disruption has now created a challenging problem for commercial landlords, small businesses, and mayors alike. However, it is also an opportunity. We can apply innovative thinking to reimagine central business districts, secondary urban centers, and suburbs to meet the workforce where it’s going and where it wants to be. Taking a smart, agile approach, we can build vibrant, equitable, and livable communities and economies across Massachusetts.

Boston and other Massachusetts cities’ 20th-century business district environments were built to support a bygone model of people commuting in and out of a city while supporting the small business economy of lunch places, after-work gathering spots, and personal services like cobblers. This model is now outdated, and we need to turn these districts into vibrant, 24/7 communities.

A step in this revitalization process will be for cities and developers to work together to convert older commercial properties with smaller footprints into residential units. A round-the-clock community of residents, commuters, and visitors will make former business-only districts more vibrant and supportive of small businesses.

Boston provides an illustrative example of this principle. Characterized by a greater mix of office, residential, dining, and retail uses, the Back Bay and Seaport neighborhoods feel more vibrant than the Financial District, with its preponderance of office towers. The numbers bear this out, with a recently released CBRE report showing office vacancies at 15.3 percent in downtown Boston while only 11 percent in the newly emerging Seaport.

As well, with a concerted effort, cities and the business community can partner to host events, promote hyper-local retail, and attract workers to the business districts after hours while also drawing families and tourists to visit and spend money on weekends. All of this will help these districts grow beyond mostly serving business tenants to become better places to live, work, and play.

The hybrid work model is also changing economies outside of cities’ business districts. Once sleepy suburbs with town centers that came to life in the evenings and on weekends are experiencing a resurgence as former daily commuters work from home some days of the week. Cafes and restaurants with flexible spaces are seeing their business increase as they become essential third spaces and social hubs for people doing work, meeting for lunch, or having a cocktail after work.

As suburbs look to boost their tax base, they can capitalize on this change of behavior and create economic development plans that foster a more worker-friendly environment, including updating antiquated laws around permitted uses, zoning density, parking requirements, alcohol service, and outdoor dining. Activating downtowns with more transit-oriented housing, retail, daycare centers, and formal or informal workspaces fosters great work/live ecosystems.

Soaring home prices in the Greater Boston area and remote work models that do not depend on commuting into Boston daily are prompting companies and employees to look beyond Boston and its suburbs to centers across the state with lower-cost office space and more affordable housing. This presents an opportunity for economic development in secondary urban centers. Worcester, Lowell, Springfield, and our Gateway Cities are working to create a positive cycle of attracting companies, spurring affordable housing growth, and drawing workers who will experience a better quality of life with less congested, shorter commutes.

To make this shift toward multiple economic hubs successful, we must rethink our commuter rail system and move away from traditional train schedules designed for a suburban workforce commuting into a central city core. Adding transit-oriented housing to more downtown centers and extending economic activity to other cities is changing commuting needs and patterns. To accommodate this, we should start operating commuter rail trains more frequently beyond traditional work hours, in multiple directions, and consider adding smaller, faster train sets.

Taking these steps will reduce congestion (including the resultant carbon emissions), drive economic development in multiple areas, and attract and retain the intellectual capital of our young workforce across the Commonwealth.

The pandemic accelerated changes that were already occurring in the way we work, shop, and relate to one another. These fundamental shifts are providing an opportunity to rethink our urban and suburban landscapes for the better. By embracing hybrid work models and understanding better how we can adapt to them, we can distribute the benefits of living and working in Massachusetts across the Commonwealth.

Helping more of our central business districts, secondary urban centers, and suburbs transition to a post-9-5 work culture will improve the quality of life for residents, increase equity, and make Massachusetts more competitive in attracting the workforce we need. Let’s seize this moment to redefine our cities and suburbs and ensure they thrive in a post 9-to-5 world. 

John Martin is a principal at Elkus Manfredi Architects.