Mass-ACP member Jeff Levine, city planner and MIT researcher, explains:

"And all those apartments and houses downtown? ... if some of the changes we've seen from COVID-19 become permanent, they'll be invaluable for keeping those areas vibrant.

...What some cities have been doing in terms of encouraging housing downtown is a huge plus,...Local businesses need more disposable income nearby than they used to in order to survive. Looking at those areas that used to be offices above retail and really encouraging them to convert to residential I generally see as a good thing - particularly if we keep having a lot more remote working. Those offices are harder to rent as office space in the future."

https://www.mainepublic.org/post/planners-look-future-pandemic-transforms-maines-downtowns