Out of London
WHAT: 33 per cent of Londoners want to change homes and half of them want to move out of the big city. 14 percent of Londoners want to move out of the city as a result of the covid 19 pandemic. Of those who want to change homes, about three quarters state that they definitely, probably or possibly (30%, 24% and 19%) want to move when asked about the probability that they will move within twelve months. People care more than ever before about having gardens and green spaces after the repeated lock-down periods during the pandemic, and many of those who do not want to move are staying for economic or work-related reasons. 1.6 million (26%) of Londoners have worked remotely outside the city centre during the pandemic and want to continue to do so. One third of British residents say that a continued flexible work situation would make them move.
SO WHAT: When employers become more flexible and can offer increased opportunities for teleworking for certain roles, this can inspire more people to move without it having a negative effect on the company. Businesses can also save money on office space. The fact that we are leaving the physical office as the norm may in the long run also mean that we move away from the idea of large important central cities as an engine in development. A distributed drive creates not only diversified development areas but also a more distributed economy.
https: // www.london.gov.uk/press-releases/assembly/escaping-the-city-post-covid