[Gus Haynes]

^Okay but only if you take the office next to my annoying coworker who will attempt to talk to you about Rebel News headlines and Tucker Carlson clips all day.

 

[ChazYEG]

^Okay but only if you take the office next to my annoying coworker who will attempt to talk to you about Rebel News headlines and Tucker Carlson clips all day.

At this point, I'll take it. As the younglings of today will say: I'll do it for the plot

 

[David A]

I also prefer to work in an office for several reasons. First, it gives a better separation between work and non work life and so allows better focus on work when I am working, which is important for the type of work I do.

Although fortunately, I don't have child care or family commitments at home. Second, the space I live in is smaller and would not work well for working at home.

Third, I would also find it isolating and boring to be working at home all day, most days and enjoy regularly getting out for lunch, etc... which is easier to do downtown.

Fortunately, I do not have a long commute, so that is not a big deal for me. But as a plus, my commuting time does give me a chance to unwind and transition from work to non work life.

 

[SarcasticMarmot]

Sample sizes and all that, but of my coworkers who work hybrid arrangements (i.e. downtown and at their respective homes), none of them cite "safety" as their reason for wanting to work at home. They all cite getting a break from annoying coworkers and wasting time commuting to and from work. I'm in that camp: I like downtown, I come downtown for entertainment/movies/restaurants/etc, but I wouldn't come into the office at all if I had any choice.

I think these, along with companies desire to have lower rent costs is the main driver behind leaving downtown. People hate commuting, but they want their large single family homes that we have subsidized on the outer ring of our city. Blaming "safety" is a convenient excuse when the fact is the benefits of being downtown are now outweighed by lower costs and fewer commutes. IMO, this was inevitable when we completed the Henday and someone from the north end can commute to an office in South Common as quickly as they can get downtown, its just a slow change. I agree that we seriously need to consider how to make downtown more appealing to change the conversation, but I will always take a company's press releases with a grain of salt. With how long it takes to move, I bet APAGA was already working on this move before safety even entered the public conversation.

 

[IanO]

Cheap, easy, quick - the tenents of a great society.

 

[Gus Haynes]

Cheap, easy, quick - the tenants of a great society.

...tenets

 

[IanO]

Haha... indeed. I had Downtown tenants on the mind.

 

[The_Cat]

I'm guessing many of the engineering firms are set up in the outskirts of Edmonton. Also a location near the International Airport means a more convenient location.

 

[IanO]

Many are Downtown as well as there, but an industry assoc. and government lobby is best near the leg and city hall... or in most cities.

 

[SarcasticMarmot]

Many are Downtown as well as there, but an industry assoc. and government lobby is best near the leg and city hall... or in most cities.

I would have thought the same, but I just checked and Ontario's Professional Engineers association is located in the outer half of Toronto, and BC's is located in Burnaby. Neither are located centrally or even in their capital cities. Don't know if that perception matches reality.

 

[archited]

Toronto is the Provincial Capitol/Capital of Ontario.

 

[IanO]

Interesting. I suppose I was speaking to most lobby groups are often located near those who make policy and proximity often means access.

But I stand corrected.

 

[SarcasticMarmot]

Toronto is the Provincial Capitol/Capital of Ontario.

Damn, you're right. Not sure how that slipped my brain, I was thinking Ottawa. Maybe I should defend myself by blaming my Alberta first bias.

The point that it's not located in the core still stands.

 

[David A]

Damn, you're right. Not sure how that slipped my brain, I was thinking Ottawa. Maybe I should defend myself by blaming my Alberta first bias.

The point that it's not located in the core still stands.

I don't know how long they have been there, but at one time wasn't where there are actually another city and not part of the City of Toronto?

In any event this is north of the 401, so definitely not in the downtown core.

 

[ChazYEG]

Doesn't pertain specifically to downtown, but it does provide some perspective on the perception of safety in some areas.
Last night one of my cars' was stolen in front of my place, in a quiet, "safe" inner street, in a somewhat "upscale" neighborhood.
Wasn't the first case in the area over the past few weeks, and seems to be a somewhat regular occurrence.
I know it's a crime against property, not bodily harm, but definitely puts the whole safety debate, and the comparisons between DT and the burbs in perspective.