August 13, 2025 • 5 mins
The Silent Streets_ Unpacking the Paradox of Quieter Cities and Disappearing Public Life
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
You found the podcast Go Beyond the Brief, where we
take a deep dive into the societal currents shaping our lives. Together,
we'll explore the often unseen forces at play. We'll examine
the research, dissect the data, and most importantly, if you're
seeking to understand what's shaping our society, this is the place.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
Have you felt it, you know, walking down a city
street lately and it just feels quieter, even in places
you expect to be busy. There's this this sense of disconnect.
Speaker 3 (00:30):
It's odd, it really is. And what's fascinating. Kind of
the core puzzle here is that this is happening even
though we're pouring resources into pedestrian infrastructure.
Speaker 2 (00:38):
Right making things more walkable.
Speaker 3 (00:40):
Exactly like Open street Map saw its biggest jump in
mapping footpaths in twenty twenty four, almost ten thousand kilometers added.
Speaker 2 (00:47):
Wow.
Speaker 3 (00:48):
And then you have all these Vision zero programs in
cities aiming to well basically eliminate pedestrian fatality. So the
investment is there, but the buzz maybe not so much.
Speaker 2 (00:59):
So that's the pair adox we want to tackle in
this deep dive. We've pulled together research data, articles trying
to synthesize what's really going on. We're looking at the economy,
social behaviors. The pandemics roll all of it. Let's try
and untack this thing. Okay, So first up the economy,
it seems some massive shifts right. Remote work is a
huge one.
Speaker 3 (01:17):
Oh, absolutely fundamental.
Speaker 2 (01:18):
I mean the numbers are kind of wild. LinkedIn reported
something like a four hundred and fifty seven percent increase
in remote job postings between twenty twenty and twenty twenty one.
Speaker 3 (01:26):
Four hundred and fifty seven percent. That's not just a
small change. It completely re routes daily life for millions.
Speaker 2 (01:34):
Yeah, fewer people commuting downtown public transports share of commutes
apparently dropped from five percent down to just two point
five percent by twenty twenty.
Speaker 3 (01:41):
One, which leads to that whole donut effect. Idea explain
that a bit well, basically, activity and people spread outwards
away from the traditional city center. The core gets a
little hollowed out, economically speaking.
Speaker 2 (01:55):
So those spontaneous street level interactions grabbing coffee, lunch, rushes,
afterwork drinks, they just thin out.
Speaker 3 (02:00):
Precisely, they become less concentrated, less predictable.
Speaker 2 (02:03):
And it's not just work, is it. It's how we shop,
how we eat, e commerce, all the delivery apps.
Speaker 3 (02:08):
Definitely, that's privatized. A lot of activity that used to
happen in public on the street. Think about food delivery.
Speaker 2 (02:14):
I saw a stat that the average American spends what
like thirty seven dollars a week on it around that.
Speaker 3 (02:19):
Yeah, so instead of going out to a restaurant or cafe,
that experience happens at home. Activity moves indoors or maybe
to those dark.
Speaker 2 (02:27):
Stores delivery warehouses.
Speaker 3 (02:28):
Right, and connecting this to the bigger social picture, our
behaviors are changing too. We're spending so much more time online.
Speaker 2 (02:35):
You see it everywhere.
Speaker 3 (02:37):
Pere research found almost half of teen's forty six percent
said they were online almost constantly by twenty twenty three.
That's time not spent outdoors, not in parks, not on streets,
just hanging out.
Speaker 2 (02:49):
So public space has become less social.
Speaker 3 (02:52):
Kind of functionalized. Maybe we use the more like pathways
like conduits to get from A to B rather than
places to linger and interact.
Speaker 2 (03:00):
Data on that.
Speaker 3 (03:01):
Yeah, there is. Actually some studies showed lingering in public
spaces dropped quite a bit from maybe forty three percent
back in nineteen eighty down to twenty six percent by
twenty ten.
Speaker 2 (03:10):
That's a big draw.
Speaker 3 (03:11):
And get this, people are literally walking faster. Average walking
speed increased about fifteen percent over a similar period. It's
about efficiency, not soaking up the scene.
Speaker 2 (03:19):
And we have to mention safety right or at least
the perception of safety crucial point.
Speaker 3 (03:24):
If people feel unsafe rightly or wrongly, they'll avoid certain areas.
That creates emptier spaces, which can then feel less safe.
It's a cycle.
Speaker 2 (03:34):
So we're building these theoretically great walkable spaces.
Speaker 3 (03:38):
Right, more footpaths, better crossings.
Speaker 2 (03:41):
But people are using them differently, less lingering, faster pace,
maybe more isolation even amidst potential crowds. It's not the
urban density causing isolation like old theories suggested, but maybe
decentralization and well screens.
Speaker 3 (03:54):
And then COVID hit.
Speaker 2 (03:55):
Yeah, the accelerator exactly.
Speaker 3 (03:57):
It was like a massive, unplanned experiment that normalized remote
work overnight. It's supercharged e commerce, and it made everyone
hyper aware of personal space, of sharing environments.
Speaker 2 (04:07):
Those weren't just temporary blips.
Speaker 3 (04:08):
Were they doesn't seem like it. It feels like it
genuinely shifted baseline expectations and habits around public life, perhaps permanently.
Speaker 2 (04:16):
So bringing it all together. What does this actually mean?
This quietness we sometimes feel on the streets, It's not
just one thing.
Speaker 3 (04:22):
No, it's complex, a result of this deep societal rejigging.
How we work, how we shop, how we socialize. It's
all shifted, less central, more digital, maybe more utilitarian.
Speaker 2 (04:33):
In public right, Not just a simple cause and effect
which implies that.
Speaker 3 (04:37):
Just building walkable infrastructure, while good, might not be enough
anymore to create that vibrant street life we perhaps remember
or desire.
Speaker 2 (04:44):
We need to think beyond just the physical space.
Speaker 3 (04:47):
We probably need to address these deeper behavioral shifts, this
redefinition of urban life itself. That's happened.
Speaker 2 (04:53):
Okay, So maybe a final thought for you, the listener,
to chew on if walkable isn't the whole answer anymore,
how do our cities need to change? How can they
evolve to genuinely re engage people in public spaces in
this well, this new reality
You found the podcast Go Beyond the Brief, where we
take a deep dive into the societal currents shaping our lives. Together,
we'll explore the often unseen forces at play. We'll examine
the research, dissect the data, and most importantly, if you're
seeking to understand what's shaping our society, this is the place.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
Have you felt it, you know, walking down a city
street lately and it just feels quieter, even in places
you expect to be busy. There's this this sense of disconnect.
Speaker 3 (00:30):
It's odd, it really is. And what's fascinating. Kind of
the core puzzle here is that this is happening even
though we're pouring resources into pedestrian infrastructure.
Speaker 2 (00:38):
Right making things more walkable.
Speaker 3 (00:40):
Exactly like Open street Map saw its biggest jump in
mapping footpaths in twenty twenty four, almost ten thousand kilometers added.
Speaker 2 (00:47):
Wow.
Speaker 3 (00:48):
And then you have all these Vision zero programs in
cities aiming to well basically eliminate pedestrian fatality. So the
investment is there, but the buzz maybe not so much.
Speaker 2 (00:59):
So that's the pair adox we want to tackle in
this deep dive. We've pulled together research data, articles trying
to synthesize what's really going on. We're looking at the economy,
social behaviors. The pandemics roll all of it. Let's try
and untack this thing. Okay, So first up the economy,
it seems some massive shifts right. Remote work is a
huge one.
Speaker 3 (01:17):
Oh, absolutely fundamental.
Speaker 2 (01:18):
I mean the numbers are kind of wild. LinkedIn reported
something like a four hundred and fifty seven percent increase
in remote job postings between twenty twenty and twenty twenty one.
Speaker 3 (01:26):
Four hundred and fifty seven percent. That's not just a
small change. It completely re routes daily life for millions.
Speaker 2 (01:34):
Yeah, fewer people commuting downtown public transports share of commutes
apparently dropped from five percent down to just two point
five percent by twenty twenty.
Speaker 3 (01:41):
One, which leads to that whole donut effect. Idea explain
that a bit well, basically, activity and people spread outwards
away from the traditional city center. The core gets a
little hollowed out, economically speaking.
Speaker 2 (01:55):
So those spontaneous street level interactions grabbing coffee, lunch, rushes,
afterwork drinks, they just thin out.
Speaker 3 (02:00):
Precisely, they become less concentrated, less predictable.
Speaker 2 (02:03):
And it's not just work, is it. It's how we shop,
how we eat, e commerce, all the delivery apps.
Speaker 3 (02:08):
Definitely, that's privatized. A lot of activity that used to
happen in public on the street. Think about food delivery.
Speaker 2 (02:14):
I saw a stat that the average American spends what
like thirty seven dollars a week on it around that.
Speaker 3 (02:19):
Yeah, so instead of going out to a restaurant or cafe,
that experience happens at home. Activity moves indoors or maybe
to those dark.
Speaker 2 (02:27):
Stores delivery warehouses.
Speaker 3 (02:28):
Right, and connecting this to the bigger social picture, our
behaviors are changing too. We're spending so much more time online.
Speaker 2 (02:35):
You see it everywhere.
Speaker 3 (02:37):
Pere research found almost half of teen's forty six percent
said they were online almost constantly by twenty twenty three.
That's time not spent outdoors, not in parks, not on streets,
just hanging out.
Speaker 2 (02:49):
So public space has become less social.
Speaker 3 (02:52):
Kind of functionalized. Maybe we use the more like pathways
like conduits to get from A to B rather than
places to linger and interact.
Speaker 2 (03:00):
Data on that.
Speaker 3 (03:01):
Yeah, there is. Actually some studies showed lingering in public
spaces dropped quite a bit from maybe forty three percent
back in nineteen eighty down to twenty six percent by
twenty ten.
Speaker 2 (03:10):
That's a big draw.
Speaker 3 (03:11):
And get this, people are literally walking faster. Average walking
speed increased about fifteen percent over a similar period. It's
about efficiency, not soaking up the scene.
Speaker 2 (03:19):
And we have to mention safety right or at least
the perception of safety crucial point.
Speaker 3 (03:24):
If people feel unsafe rightly or wrongly, they'll avoid certain areas.
That creates emptier spaces, which can then feel less safe.
It's a cycle.
Speaker 2 (03:34):
So we're building these theoretically great walkable spaces.
Speaker 3 (03:38):
Right, more footpaths, better crossings.
Speaker 2 (03:41):
But people are using them differently, less lingering, faster pace,
maybe more isolation even amidst potential crowds. It's not the
urban density causing isolation like old theories suggested, but maybe
decentralization and well screens.
Speaker 3 (03:54):
And then COVID hit.
Speaker 2 (03:55):
Yeah, the accelerator exactly.
Speaker 3 (03:57):
It was like a massive, unplanned experiment that normalized remote
work overnight. It's supercharged e commerce, and it made everyone
hyper aware of personal space, of sharing environments.
Speaker 2 (04:07):
Those weren't just temporary blips.
Speaker 3 (04:08):
Were they doesn't seem like it. It feels like it
genuinely shifted baseline expectations and habits around public life, perhaps permanently.
Speaker 2 (04:16):
So bringing it all together. What does this actually mean?
This quietness we sometimes feel on the streets, It's not
just one thing.
Speaker 3 (04:22):
No, it's complex, a result of this deep societal rejigging.
How we work, how we shop, how we socialize. It's
all shifted, less central, more digital, maybe more utilitarian.
Speaker 2 (04:33):
In public right, Not just a simple cause and effect
which implies that.
Speaker 3 (04:37):
Just building walkable infrastructure, while good, might not be enough
anymore to create that vibrant street life we perhaps remember
or desire.
Speaker 2 (04:44):
We need to think beyond just the physical space.
Speaker 3 (04:47):
We probably need to address these deeper behavioral shifts, this
redefinition of urban life itself. That's happened.
Speaker 2 (04:53):
Okay, So maybe a final thought for you, the listener,
to chew on if walkable isn't the whole answer anymore,
how do our cities need to change? How can they
evolve to genuinely re engage people in public spaces in
this well, this new reality
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