Metropolis

The Death of Downtown and Life of Great American Cities

The death of central business districts is here, and with it comes an opportunity to reshape our cities

Picture a typical downtown in your mind. What do you see? Historically, it may have been soaring peaks of commercial skyscrapers, the bustle of commuters running to and from the office, and perhaps a local institution like a famed restaurant, theatre, or place of cultural significance. Most, however, wouldn’t immediately think of the people and the streets that form the foundations of a community. But that’s beginning to change.

Over the last century, cities have evolved from centers of industrial production reliant on heavy manufacturing and trade, to re-orienting themselves into centralized hubs focused on attracting corporate commuters who occupy small sections inside their borders from 9–5. In the last few years, we’ve begun to transition into a new epoch: The Era of the People. This era is not dependent on one economic sector, or concentration of one type of person for an abridged period of time.

This “People Era” is a resilient one focused on offering high qualities of life, access to opportunity & reducing inequities, sustainable solutions to city-building, and a prioritization of…