Letter from the editor

THE WORK-from-home trend, spurred on by anti-Covid strategies, has certainly changed not only the residential, but also the commercial, property market.

Chatting to colleagues in the UK, I was interested to find out that there has been a big drive to get people back into offices and to get the cities working again.

The latest Knight Frank TheWealth Report shows cities still have life in them: “As we predicted last year, cities came roaring back to life in 2021 and still have further to go,” it says.

Our main article this week looks at how WFH has given people more options and this has seen thriving communities growing on the outskirts of cities and, in some instances, far out in the platte land.

Experts say to keep cities thriving, measures must be taken to make them more attractive –and this includes more mixed-use developments.

I do have to laugh as I recall my city slicker friend, who dreamed of a home in the countryside, renting such a place last year. He could not wait for his lease to be up and to move back to the city. He has vowed never, ever to return.

“I hated everything about it,”he said.

In life, there are many typesof people. Property developerswould be wise to make room forall of them.

In my opinion, cities and cityliving are far from over. I recentlymoved to the city – I have beenenergised by the buzz, thecreativity and all that is on offer onmy doorstep.

Even if we work from home, we all have different desires and needs – and wise developers will ensure that both the cities and outskirts cater to these.

Warm regards

Vivian Warby

vivian.warby@inl.co.za