Why Empty Downtown Towers in Western Economies Are Increasing?
This serious evaluation neither requires a Nobel Prize in Economics nor PhD with long titles, just pure common sense; the Coronavirus world of multi-billion workers are now totally immersed in very abnormal realities; occupational set-ups totally disrupted, global attitudes shifted, economies altered, mind share splintered, political leadership melted, fears on rise, finances on brinks, emotions on grinders, competency harshly tested.
The metamorphosis advanced, with the hidden urge of caterpillar to learn to fly, therefore, mankind must advance, as our old structures are only chrysalis…
Our economic survival clearly depends on our balancing acts of critical thinking and accepting new abnormal. First in line, while so badly disrupted city by city, nation by nation, across the world new economic working models must now fit the very special high demands of survival of downtown real estate office tower centrality across the Western economies.
Alternatively, most downtown stay darker.
Here some visibly broken working models; how can they reassemble for better or simply discarded? How do you measure? What do you think? Here is the test on abnormal economics. Two reasons
ONE:
Why trillion dollars wasted annually in downtown office structures on billion office workers?
The “office-work” model
Cost of downtown office per employees in West $10,000
Cost to per employee to commute $10,000
In-office productivity hindrances 25%
Remote working productivity enhancements 25%
Cost of remote work technologies, almost free
Apply on billion workers
Pass savings to workers
Deep immersion critical to face the truth; Office work, originally created to handle paper-flow, already automated at the fastest pace ever with advent of block-chain, AI+AR+VR and progressively digitized in multiple propagation. Flat hierarchies with minimal supervision interlaced with AI+AR+VR+ and block-chained technologies on digital platforms with extraordinary power play to dominate the disappearance of office work. Advantage; freedom from paper-bureaucracies, unlimited free time and saving to create new ideas
Office workers, originally trained to manage paper-flow, now wondering on the floor, from senior executives with corner offices to middle managers and cubical habitats now rapidly removed, as post Covid19 world, finally going “remote working” as fully rooted as respectable in corporate performance protocols; unlimited freedom against superior performance, unlimited options to telescope or zoom out on projects against all related savings of overheads and cumbersome commuting. This is NOT slipping into Gig-economy, this is respectable full time highly responsible proper office mandates but on remote working basis as new successful models. Periodical group gatherings or intense work-shops will do the rest of the face to face connectivity for the organization.
During 80s any reliable video-conferencing set up was USD $1 million, by 2000 about $100,000 per person, today almost free. What are your suggestions? How will you redesign downtown office work?
Over 50% office workers prefer remote. Freedoms into physical spaces of ‘choice’ automatically improve skills and performance. Remote working, today, most optimized and flexible for global talents on time zone adjustments issues, new seeking new professional work ethics and controls. Now working remotely gives higher profile.
TWO:
Why consumers pay many trillion dollars annually on unnecessary retail real estate structures?
The “luxury production” models
Cost of material per luxury brand 01%
Cost of production, mainly Asia 05%
Cost of branding management 25%
Cost of expensive retailing 50%
Alternate cost via online merchandising 30%
Pass saving to end users
Will simple online shopping with much more visuals and better support solve problems? What’s needed free large wall TVs gifted with round the clock online selling? There is a global retail shift.
Although, futurism is workless, a new thinking must emerge
In coming 1000 days, the office-work, office-workers and office-structures under constant disruption mostly disappear in relevant digital platforms, with extra ordinary savings and improved performances, leaving bright complex problem solvers, creative thinkers and entrepreneurial warriors of all sorts, shapes and sizes, tackling a diverse, tolerant and economically vibrant and peaceful world.
With huge uncertainty on downtown usability, a bright remote worker’s future still awaits
Study fast, fail fast, learn fast,
catch up a lost decade,
become expert and acquire mastery.
Look at mirror seeking truth daily,
open mind as a global warrior,
Rest is easy
