5 points the pandemic changed in the way we live — a 2020 Hindsight
Let’s be honest, we’re all a little bit tired after a year of back and forth but bear with me. Even though there are many “if’s” floating around mass media, there is a possibility that this situation won’t just miraculously go away.
That being said, the following is just a list of opinions either mine or gathered from various sources from the internet, and should be treated as such.
Here are 5 points on how the pandemic changed the way we live
Remote work as a solution to keep businesses going
Although not every job can be performed remotely, we will see many more people opting for this. And the technology is there — high-speed internet, good computers, and a plethora of free apps that help you stay productive. The benefit of this is that businesses can keep going despite restrictions and that many devices, tools and accessories will become more available as the demand increases.
De-densification of cities as a result of the high cost of living and less need to commute
A couple of years ago, the UN predicted that up to 70% of the world’s population will live in urban areas by 2050. However, the high price of living in a city, combined with the fear and discomfort of living in crowded areas and small apartments, has lead many to switch to the suburbs or even the countryside. Even more so, when commuting to work is no longer necessary.
Importance of online presence for business and education
The decrease of in-person activities has made the importance of the online environment even more obvious. From education to telehealth services, and to large and small businesses, all of these show the importance of online literacy. We have, in fact, seen it through the rise of social media in the past 10 years and its educational and business potential. And the earlier you adopt this, the better.
There would be more cars and less public transit
As the case with suburban and rural densification, people have been avoiding crowded areas such as public transport as encouraged by authorities. This has lead to increasing demand for individual transport. However, this can lead to infrastructure development for suburban and rural areas where resources can be redistributed, as well as developing alternative infrastructure that focuses on the more sustainable bicycles.
Empty real estate with potential for new use
With working from home and social distancing, highly used commercial spaces were among the first to suffer, leaving many empty office buildings, restaurants or hotels. And once a building is built, it’s not as easy to just take it off the market. So what to do with them? Luckily, people rarely hold themselves back from creating new opportunities. For example, Toronto’s “Housing Now Initiative” that repurposes empty office buildings into affordable housing units.
Of course, there is much more that has and will change, but for the sake of keeping this short, I will stop at these 5.
