Reimagining live-work in postindustrial cities: how combining living and working is transforming urban living

Abstract

ABSTRACT Demographers, architects, and urban designers have noted that the world’s population continues to move from rural areas and into urban metropoles. Forty years ago, it was predicted that “mega cities” would emerge as over a billion people would migrate to them. Wholescale transformation of these cities would be required; new lifestyles would have to be considered and the service-based innovation economy would change how we used to the city. Suburbs would become marginalized. Nearly a quarter of century later, most of these predictions did not come to fruition. More importantly, the 2020 Covid pandemic changed the paradigm of work. Most workers could work from their homes and preferred doing so. Suddenly, the inevitable mega city no longer seemed so inevitable. Recognizing that cities will have to provide environmental conscious sustainable amenities in order to attract talented innovative workers and entrepreneurs back to the city, the authors propose three strategies that promote live/work environments in the post-industrial city. They argue that regenerating existing building stock and developing financial tools, which promote living and working are two critical approaches in making post-industrial cities attractive for entrepreneurs and workers.