I still find it a depressing experience walking Adelaide's CBD post-Covid. Many of the lunch time cafe's and coffee shops continue to remain closed. Will they ever open again? Will the pandemic shape Adelaide's future? What might urban life look like on the other side of the Covid-19 pandemic? How long before the CBD starts to be full of people?
Judging from the lack of people in the city it appears that many of the office workers are still working from home. The density of the people in the city is certainly much less than in pre-Covid times and about half those walking the streets are wearing masks. It was such a marked difference to Melbourne where hardly anyone wore face masks on the street.
I drove into the city early, noting the decreased commute during peak hour, then walked the CBD for several hours between 8-10 am. The empty and boarded-up shop fronts were still there, as were the lack of tourists and a fear of contagion. I went to a meeting, then walked for several hours during the 12.30-2 pm lunch hours. It felt as if the city that had more or less grounded to a halt during Covid was now struggling back to life. There are just pockets here and there of public life --people gathering to relax and share food or drinks.
