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I'd be willing to ascribe them nonzero influence of the sort that you have described, but compared to the pandemic influences, it seems almost trivial. Like the

I'd be willing to ascribe them nonzero influence of the sort that you have described, but compared to the pandemic influences, it seems almost trivial. Like the authors of this article, I think the crux of the matter is that city-dwellers now have to deal with a lot more stringent antivirus measures affecting them much more often on a much more regular basis, relative to suburbanites. As a city dweller who has done a reasonably good job of adapting (replacing my use of NYC's public transit with a bicycle, for instance) I sympathize. I am paying lots of money in rent, and I am no longer realizing the benefits of living close to the office, or the benefits of living near interesting and unique shops and restaurants. Even the benefits of living near nice parks is a little bit muted. Instead, I find the space I have committed to as part of my lease is not quite big enough, now that I'm expected to make an office in it every day as well, and I find that I could really use some more outdoor space that I could enjoy by myself.

techsupporter 6y ago
Oh, I completely agree that some of that shift is because of this pandemic and its effects. I just also think that it is gut-level reacting, particularly since humans are pretty bad at long-term thinking. I've had those same thoughts, especially since my household sold our house and our last car a few years ago to move to a mixed-use development near a train station. But I also remember that there are reasons why we did that and, even with the cool shops and tasty restaurants temporarily closed, those reasons still exist. We still have parks and grocery stores to walk to, still don't have to drive, and so on. This, too, shall pass (assuming we can all get it together for a few months). But, anyway, turning back to your broader point, I agree that some people will reevaluate the decisions they made that led them to this point. And there may even be a shift if this drags on for two or three years--which it had better not--but I think a large part of this polling is unease, a lot of it externally-influenced, instead of calm thought. I am biased, of course; we do not plan to move from the city where we live, so that plays into our thinking.

techsupporter 6y ago

Oh, I completely agree that some of that shift is because of this pandemic and its effects. I just also think that it is gut-level reacting, particularly since humans are pretty bad at long-term thinking. I've had those same thoughts, especially since my household sold our house and our last car a few years ago to move to a mixed-use development near a train station. But I also remember that there are reasons why we did that and, even with the cool shops and tasty restaurants temporarily closed, those reasons still exist. We still have parks and grocery stores to walk to, still don't have to drive, and so on. This, too, shall pass (assuming we can all get it together for a few months). But, anyway, turning back to your broader point, I agree that some people will reevaluate the decisions they made that led them to this point. And there may even be a shift if this drags on for two or three years--which it had better not--but I think a large part of this polling is unease, a lot of it externally-influenced, instead of calm thought. I am biased, of course; we do not plan to move from the city where we live, so that plays into our thinking.