15 American and Canadian downtowns that are bouncing back, and how they did it WSOC TV [Video]

The COVID-19 pandemic decimated downtown economies across Canada and the United States, with some cities rebounding more quickly than others.

Office closures, a surge in remote work, and changes in consumer behavior disrupted downtown economies built around commuting workers and visitors. Now, nearly five years after the onset of the pandemic, the tenor of some downtowns is changing once again. Cities that pursued creative ways to revitalize or shifted the focus of their economies have rebounded in unexpected ways.

On paper, downtowns are defined by their density of jobs and office space. Downtown areas are those that have the highest concentration of jobs, according to the Journal of Urban Studies. Meanwhile, office space comprised 71% of real estate in the 30 largest U.S. metropolitan areas in 2019, according to a Brookings Institution analysis.

But from their central locations to their cultural significance, downtowns—often the heart of cities—are so much more. The development of public spaces and commercial corridors, along …