Episode 407: Vibrant Mixed-Use Districts Key to Urban Revitalization: CBRE
Julie Whelan, global head of occupier thought leadership at CBRE, was a guest on the latest episode of the REIT Report podcast.
Whelan discussed the findings of a new CBRE report, Shaping Tomorrow\u2019s Cities, which looks at ways to reinvent U.S. cities after the upheaval of the pandemic and the growth of remote work. She noted that urban revitalization trends that were evident in the period leading up to the pandemic were \u201cstopped in their tracks\u201d by COVID-19 and the \u201csheer concern of density being a health problem.\u201d
The CBRE report found that a diverse built environment in vibrant mixed-use districts was more attractive to office tenants, more attractive to residents, and more attractive to retailers setting up shops to support the population in that area. Vibrant mixed-use districts are essential for urban rejuvenation, Whelan said, \u201cbecause just working in cities is not the pure draw anymore.\u201d