The COVID-19 pandemic has shined an intense spotlight on thedesign of our cities, and has subsequently emphasized areas inwhich design is lacking. When citizens are unable to congregateindoors or utilize public transportation, we begin to uncover painpoints that were previously overlooked within our cities. Thoughthe pandemic has been challenging, it does provide an opportunity.If ever there was a time to implement transformative, innovativeconcepts and plans to reshape our cities, it is now.

Aptly, many city leaders are doing exactly that. In Paris, cityofficials are removing large swaths of parking spaces to rapidlyaccommodate outdoor dining and expand bicycle infrastructure. Thecity of Oakland recently announced 74 miles of "slow streets," openonly to local traffic. Additionally, the city of Seattle has shutdown 20 miles of streets to all traffic, and has converted severalgreenways into walking and biking paths.

While it is encouraging to witness cities seize the currentsituation by putting plans in action, which would typically takeages to implement in a status quo environment, these initiativesonly represent a portion of the equation. The pandemic also has theability to serve as a catalyst for change among multifamilydevelopers, who now have the opportunity to make bold changes inapartment building designs.