The changing face of New York City - 12th March 2021

Wall Street, New York City – a famously crowded location buzzing with energy and life – is almost deserted. The pandemic has changed the face of the city dramatically.

Offices have closed down, and office workers have been forced to work from home. Luc Kamperman is the only one of Veldhoen+’s 8 staff in New York who has gone back to the office, but just once a week.

He realises this is the future and that offices will feel different. He is also aware of the impact this will have on other businesses.

Luc Kamperman: "But I do think that we will see a different type of vibe and that people are only coming in two or three days a week and not five days a week. So it will have a massive impact on everything that's built around these offices and having all, you know, all these people going to shops and cafes, etc."

Tech companies like Google may have taken on more office space during the pandemic. However, companies are advised to expand the functions offices provide. They need to be redesigned so they are more than places to call and email.

Offices need to be creative spaces where colleagues can meet up in real life for support, motivation and fun. Working from home is popular with many. However, certain sections of the workforce are keen to return to the office.

One expert on this subject is Bhushan Sethi. He has studied how homeworking affects employees and who prefers being there in person.

Bhushan Sethi: "Number of companies have been surveying their people on their comfort with coming back to the office. The, the main population who are looking to return back are people who either live in the city, where they can walk or cycle to work, or younger people. There are some younger people that have never been in a physical workplace and they're really craving that, or they live in a shared apartment."