I apologize for a bit of a rambling response here - this article struck a chord with me.
I hardly think there is a universal trend away from the suburbs. Its a matter of personal preference. Washington DC is highly unique however in the sense that one can easily commute from the suburbs into most parts of the city with a minimal drive to the Metro station. So you can have it both ways with a house/yard and an urban lifestyle when you need it. Old office parks out in MD are unnecessary, particularly because more of DC is safe than 5-10 years ago. My wife worked on U Street and I worked in Gallery Place, two areas you wouldn't be caught dead in 10-15 years ago.
But... not all cities unfortunately offer this type of luxury. Having grown up and lived in NYC for almost 30 years, I see people wrestling with the following:
1) People want to "escape" the city either because costs are prohibitively high for a reasonable amount of square footage or simply to have the chance to decompress away from the people/activity/etc. As for costs, you only really begin to save when you get further and further away from the city, and your commute becomes soul-sucking. Parents of my friends growing up spent 3 hours in a car each day to be able to provide a good day in a safe community. That is a death sentence literally and psychically. If costs are less of an issue but you don't like the city, the added commute just makes you less productive. NJ Transit/LIRR are not quite at the point where people can be fully productive and extend the workday.
2)People who love the city and never want to leave: to make this possible, you have to prioritize the energy and conveniences of the city over your own personal comfort except in a few rare circumstances.
I hope these unnecessary offices parks are replaced by more modern co-working spaces in smaller cities that provide employees optionality. NYC and SF are bursting at the seams and the sprawl will just continue.
I hardly think there is a universal trend away from the suburbs. Its a matter of personal preference. Washington DC is highly unique however in the sense that one can easily commute from the suburbs into most parts of the city with a minimal drive to the Metro station. So you can have it both ways with a house/yard and an urban lifestyle when you need it. Old office parks out in MD are unnecessary, particularly because more of DC is safe than 5-10 years ago. My wife worked on U Street and I worked in Gallery Place, two areas you wouldn't be caught dead in 10-15 years ago.
But... not all cities unfortunately offer this type of luxury. Having grown up and lived in NYC for almost 30 years, I see people wrestling with the following:
1) People want to "escape" the city either because costs are prohibitively high for a reasonable amount of square footage or simply to have the chance to decompress away from the people/activity/etc. As for costs, you only really begin to save when you get further and further away from the city, and your commute becomes soul-sucking. Parents of my friends growing up spent 3 hours in a car each day to be able to provide a good day in a safe community. That is a death sentence literally and psychically. If costs are less of an issue but you don't like the city, the added commute just makes you less productive. NJ Transit/LIRR are not quite at the point where people can be fully productive and extend the workday.
2)People who love the city and never want to leave: to make this possible, you have to prioritize the energy and conveniences of the city over your own personal comfort except in a few rare circumstances.
I hope these unnecessary offices parks are replaced by more modern co-working spaces in smaller cities that provide employees optionality. NYC and SF are bursting at the seams and the sprawl will just continue.