Next Cities

You make some interesting points, but owning the bulk of their real estate is not a viable strategy for We Work.

• Real estate is very capital intensive and the expected returns are lower than VC capital. Owning real estate would make them unattractive to VC investors and actually lower their valuation.

Isn’t the whole point of Quayside to test new patterns and street layouts? Sidewalks quirky street patterns and emphasis on ride sharing may not be ideal solutions, but we will certainly learn more from trying this than by replicating a street grid that already exists in countless cities.

The productivity lost due to distractions is made up multiple times by the increased communication and energy. I switched to an open plan after working on a trading floor in the ‘90's and realized that real time communication made long status meetings unnecessary. A colleague whose expertise is needed can get pulled into a conversation real time…

This is not just a problem in Atlanta. Nationwide there seems to be more mentally ill people released to fend for themselves on downtown streets.

Can the Kingdom of Happiness be saved? Downtown Las Vegas in the post-Zappos Era.

Is Real Estate Becoming A Service?

Real estate just became its own separate asset class. However, ironically, that may have occurred…