Dislocation, Dislocation, Dislocation

6 Sep 2021


News

Remote work is full of paradoxes and ironies.

Start with that word: “remote.” It sounds like you’re far, far away, speaking into a tin can. But a fair number of suddenly remote workers have never been more present and accounted for.

It also lends itself to the easy joke: “You’re working remotely today? Not remotely working is more like it.”

Then there’s the hackneyed phrase “location, location, location.” Industry hubs are one thing. But the idea of certain places becoming hubs of remote work is inherently backward: If you can work from anywhere, the hub — like some sort of sci-fi concept — is suddenly churning everywhere at once. Gravitating toward common group workspaces just like the offices from which we’re now liberated seems unlikely.

When the Counselors of Real Estate, an international consortium of commercial property professionals, released their global report “Ten Top Issues Affecting Real Estate” in June, remote work and mobility was No. 1. Commercial real estate service providers have summoned a bevy of research and surveys ostensibly showing how necessary offices are to corporate culture. 

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