If there’s one thing this pandemic has brought us, it is change, a change that will be a lasting impact in our everyday activities. This past week I’ve been considering how changes made to adapt to a pandemic have permanently changed some things that we do.
Newspapers and Magazines has become a greater part of my reading, but not on a device. This may be a result of staying in, but it’s also because I’m watching less TV and less News on TV (which is a direct result of US election and COVID news overload). I’ve subscribe to receive The Globe and Mail daily; MacLean’s, The Walrus and the Royal Canadian Legion’s “Legion” magazines come monthly. Each of these publications are available online, and while I will read some articles that come into my news feed and email, but like a book, a newspaper or a magazine in my hand and flipping the pages is very satisfying. I am in front of screen more and more and I’ve found I prefer to read longer more news and opinion peices offline, holding the physical edition rather that scrolling my device.
Canadian Country singer Lindsay Ell recently had an online concert, she rehearsed as if she was going on the road, had the lights, the effects and the band; it was a full-band full-scale full-production show. Ell’s not the only one, Justin Beiber hosted a New Year’s Eve show live at $25 cost per ticket. The National Arts Centre in Ottawa presented lunchtime shows streamed live – what could possibly be better that a #WFH lunch show? The Broadway hit “Hamilton” was streamed on Disney+, I never would have had the opportunity to see the it if had not been for the pandemic.
Recently, The Weeknd performed his Super Bowl Half time show to 25,000 people in the stadium and to millions around the world. The production costs, in the millions of dollars, were designed for the online audience. The live concert can never be fully replaced, but with a large screen TV, a phone or laptop, anyone can pay a small ticket fee and webcast a live show in the comfort of pajamas and popcorn in your own home.
Masks, like them or not are here to stay. They may not be worn all the time, but you know we’ll now be carrying one with us. Masks will be in our vehicles, backpacks and purses “just in case”. That “just in case” could be when we go to a high traffic area, when we go to a movie, an indoor or outdoor sports event. We have all become accustomed with social distancing and when we can’t we’ll mask up.
Workplaces and Meetings will forever be altered. I recall when work from home was a one-off thing, now it’s so commonplace that it’s an acronym and a hashtag, #WFM. WFH is here to stay, it won’t be possible for everyone, but we’ve learned we can stay home to work and learn – it will be the new ‘go to’ solution when we can’t go to the office. Within the workplace meetings will be online – larger convention type meetings will be essential but will be rare, held only once or twice a year, these meetings are important networking events. While some video services can create small breakout rooms, nothing replaces the face-to-face coffee breakout meeting that often take place at these larger meetings.
The pandemic has changed the perception of how important a downtown core is. The Rolling Stones released the song ‘Living in a Ghost Town’ April 2020. The accompanying video featured scenes of empty streets of cities around the world, including Toronto. The changing business model that has employees housed in one building is changing; Spotify announced last year it would not be asking employees to return to its newly leased downtown Ottawa office building. Twitter employees are working from home around the world. Changes like these will affect the design of transit, shopping and will affect how cities amend official plans, as the City of Ottawa is doing now.
It was only a few years ago the appeal of living downtown was alluring – walk to shopping, ditch the car and ride a bike or take the LRT where you need to go. The pandemic has called into question the need for private open space. Parks are great, but a yard with a garden may be the new quality of life many aim to achieve. The shift from a having central employee HQ changes housing density requirement, it calls into question needs for changes to LRT, development nodes around transit stations and hubs. Municipalities are like a large cruise ship, making a sharp shift in direction takes time.
This week I attended a online Creative Morning Ottawa event with Sarah Gelbard a self-described anarchitect and part punk planner. She called into question what we all need in a place, and how we all describe the ‘place’ we desire. It was a thought-provoking morning as the opinions of the 100+ other people attending were different from mine. I’m interested to see just how far the city adjusts its need for the next 50 years and if it considers a shift back to a less-urban driven mandate.
My question to you this week is; what is new that has come to the forefront of your lives during the pandemic are here to stay? I can’t wait to read how your post-pandemic life has been influenced by lockdowns and #WFH.
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