To attract younger workers, major corporations are heading away from the sprawling suburbs and back into dense cities. The antiquated office parks they are leaving behind still have some use, though.
The Washington Post reports that corporate campuses along the East Coast are changing from vacant worksites into pleasant, walkable mini-towns with trees, parking, restaurants, stores, and new homes.
For example EYA, the firm redeveloping the Yabes’ Montgomery Row complex in Maryland, is adding high-end townhomes intended for younger families, move-up buyers, and downsizers. The community is near two shopping centers and a number of quality schools.
One challenge is how to create a sense of “vibrancy” and “place” — the feeling of living and hanging out in a fashionable, interesting destination — in office parks that can feel downright sterile, especially for early residents who arrive before stores and restaurants.
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