Empty Offices? New Opportunity for Cities and Towns

The post-COVID return to the office (RTO) in big metro centers is not going well so far. Polices from the C-Suite are meeting resistance from workers who experienced a commuting-free life during the pandemic and are not willing to give it up.

Office vacancy in the US is projected to soar 55% by 2030, according to Cushman & Wakefield, resulting in one billion square feet (93m m2) of unused office space. As big cities start working to reinvent their office districts, suburbs and exurbs are seeing an influx of talented people with the skills and knowledge to work remotely.

In this webinar, we hear from civic leaders from big and small cities on the different impacts of the remote work revolution and the opportunities as well as challenges it presents.

Speakers include:

Kirby Dearth
Economic Development Administrator
City of Dublin

Kirby Dearth joined the City of Dublin as Economic Development Administrator in 2022. He is responsible for building relationships with businesses in the Perimeter, Shier Rings and Bridge Street Business Districts of the City, as well as DubLink Transport, the city-owned fiber optic highway.

Prior to joining Economic Development, Kirby was a management analyst for the City of Dublin, serving the City Manager, Assistant City Manager, and City Council as a project manager, supervisor, and service provider. His responsibilities included development and coordination of policy research, recommendation development, and special project coordination. Kirby served as a member of a Community Task Force, working with Dublin residents to develop a comprehensive framework that outlined strategies for combating racism and inequities in the community.

Kirby received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Public Management, Leadership and Policy, with Cum Laude honors, and a master’s degree in Public Administration, both from The Ohio State University. Additionally, Kirby earned Black Belt Lean Six Sigma Certification.

Robert Bell
Co-Founder
Intelligent Community Forum

Robert Bell is co-founder of the Intelligent Community Forum, where he heads its research, analysis and content development activities. He directs the multi-stage analysis of communities for the annual Intelligent Community Awards program and authors the in-depth profiles of the Top Seven Intelligent Communities that are core to ICF's mission. Robert developed and leads the Intelligent Community Master Class and Community Accelerator programs, as well as ICF's advisory services for communities, and is a frequent speaker at municipal and telecom events.