Commutes from suburbs to cities have been the norm, but remote work trends could lead to smaller cities seeing more development, Vox reports. The number of net new households that moved to suburbs grew 43% from 2019 to 2020, which presents the opportunity for new real estate development or repurposing existing buildings for a city lifestyle in the suburbs. “The model is to reuse spaces, so instead of one entity, it’s lots of smaller businesses,” said June Williamson, a professor of architecture and urban design at the City College of New York. “There might be a food court, farmers market, hairdresser, preschool, lots of events, maybe a micro hotel — basically an ersatz downtown.” The changes could brighten up the relatively quiet suburbs, but the piece also discusses how rising housing costs in the suburbs may create a barrier for lower-income residents, and changes in the use of mass transit could affect the environment and those still depending on it for travel.