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The suburban office park is making a comeback

Many are adding modern amenities like cafes and open offices to attract workers.

A suburban neighborhood north of San Diego, California.
A suburban neighborhood north of San Diego, California.
David McNew/Getty Images

Large, secluded office parks used to be the ideal American workplace. But over the last decade, younger workers have come to favor urban environments over the suburbs. In response, many suburban office parks are adding amenities like coffee shops and fitness facilities to attract workers.

“Marketplace” host Kai Ryssdal spoke with Amanda Abrams, who wrote about the trend for the New York Times.

“It’s a super tight labor market,” Abrams said. “So real estate can make a real difference. It doesn’t necessarily have to be downtown to have a lot of the things that people are looking for.”

The upgrades appear to be working. According to CBRE data, the suburban office vacancy rate in the United States is at its lowest level since 2001.

Click the audio player above to hear the interview.

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