[Winnipegger]

The future of office work, from both an employee-morale and environment perspective, is hybrid working-from-home arrangements, full stop. None of this "suburbs versus downtown" debate is necessary anymore. It's better for the environment, it's better for the economy, it's better for the employee, it's better for the employer, and it's better for the taxpayer to have employees work from the place they live when possible.

People can get together in smaller flex-spaces when they need to meet in person, but the idea that white-collar work needs drones sitting in front of a computer 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, and wasting time commuting to a central location every single day (regardless of mode) is officially outdated.

Sure, some minority of people prefer the in-person interaction every day, or burning cash buying "artisanal" sandwiches at lunch time at the local eatery, but the vast majority of people I know have much preferred the extra 1 to 2 hours per day they've reclaimed from not having to commute, and money and stress saved from not paying for gas/parking/deprecation/bus pass.