Urbanist Richard Florida on the overblown tech exodus and how cities will regroup post pandemic

Urbanist Richard Florida recently appeared on the GeekWire podcast to discuss the future of cities after the pandemic. The interview is highly relevant to the Bay Area, where significant attention has been given to the Covid-spurred "tech exodus" occurring in the region-- an idea that Florida largely dismisses. 

"Net-net, it doesn’t look like we’ve had a great urban exodus," says Florida.

Florida goes on to discuss the many issues that policymakers and planners must be aware of, including the future of urbanism, the lasting effects of remote work on central business districts, and questions of equity that the pandemic has brought to the fore.

This podcast strongly overlaps with the recent remote work study that BARC led in partnership with the Bay Area Council Economic Institute, which conducted a data-driven analysis demonstrating the potential for remote work in the region and the possible implications on equity and the environment. 

 

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