Florists' Review Media Group has served the global floral in study for over 124 years.
Issue link: http://floridahomesmag.uberflip.com/i/1358197
Nearly 100 years ago, during the height of the Great Depression, famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright proposed a concept called "Broadacre City." His concept comprised grids of one-acre (or larger) family plots, and Wright's idea was that much of the urban population would resettle onto these small "homesteads," decentralizing the urban areas and creating communities based on small- scale farming and manufacturing, local government and property ownership, in which individuals would flourish. Although Wright's concept never really took off and urban areas grew and grew, today, the coronavirus is challenging the assumption that Americans must stay physically tethered to high-cost, small-space cities to access the best work opportunities. Many newly remote workers prefer somewhere closer to family or fresh air. ere was already an exodus from high-priced big cities to more affordable midsize ones, but COVID-19 sped it up. Cases in point: New York City's three largest commercial tenants— JPMorgan Chase, Barclays and Morgan Stanley—say it's unlikely that all their employees will return to offices; Facebook and Twitter are telling employees they can work remotely forever ; and Google axed deals for 2 million square feet of urban office space. If this trend continues, and it seems likely that it will, "Broadacre"-type communities that have an emphasis on "community"—such as Usonia, a planned community that is now a national historic district in Mount Pleasant, N.Y., and Civano, a neighborhood in Tucson, Ariz.,— will forever change our cities—and our industry. And that change will positively impact the value that florists and garden centers have in those communities. With more people staying home, there will be an even greater appreciation for cut flowers and indoor plants. "Position your products as those that make people happy and improve their health," Dubow advises. "Whether as a gift for oneself or someone else, focus on the emotional and health impacts of giving flowers and plants." In offices, too, there will be a greater demand for plants, too, as employers seek to improve their work environments for greater productivity, concentration and wellness of their workers, and trend 2: BROADACRE CITIES Whether as a gift for oneself or somenone else, focus on the emotional and health impacts of giving f lowers and plants." — Katie Dubow " Photo by Costa Farms