The ADRR

Rising vaccination rates in the United States are reducing fears of COVID, but public safety concerns now loom large in the return-to-work calculus for many employees of urban firms. Remote work has proved viable for many. Memories of vandalism and looting in the summer of 2020 linger for both victims and for those who have not yet returned to see the extent of recovery.

Outdated images comingle with media coverage of urban gun violence, even when their locations are quite distinct. In those portions of downtown depleted of office workers, anxiety is compounded by greater visibility of homeless, addicted and mentally ill individuals, though few present real public safety challenges. Downtowns with robust residential populations and reviving tourism are faring better. Still, after three decades of city revival, pandemic fears of density, social unrest, resurgent quality of life challenges and the spike in shootings have rekindled America’s historic ambivalence about cities.