Avison Young measures the pace of return to downtowns in new index
The Vitality Index offers owners and occupiers invaluable insight into workplace foot traffic compared to pre-pandemic levels
Chicago and Toronto – Avison Young today launched The Vitality Index, a real-time window into daily foot traffic estimates in major cities and leading industries located in 20+ different metros across North America. It allows easy, real-time access to comparisons to pre-pandemic levels of activity to help guide companies and investors through uncertain times.
Partnering with geospatial intelligence and location analytics company Orbital Insight, the interactive AVANT by Avison Young dashboard utilizes anonymized cell phone location data geofenced to unique locations with data dating back to June 2019 in the U.S. and the beginning of 2020 in Canada.
“COVID essentially represented the largest change management activity across the globe,” commented Sheila Botting, Avison Young’s President of Professional Services for the Americas. “The Vitality Index is wildly important for employers looking to understand what is happening in real-time and over time in major markets. It measures the pace so that leaders can make decisions based on concrete information and analytics.”
The current real-time data from The Vitality Index indicates that there is a steady increase in foot activity in major cities, but still trending significantly below 2019 levels. Hopes of the widespread return to work after Labor Day did not materialize and there is a fundamental shift with the nature of office work that has taken place.
About Orbital Insight
Orbital Insight is the geospatial intelligence and location analytics company that helps organizations understand what's happening on and to the Earth. Customers including Avison Young, Unilever, RBC Capital Markets, The World Bank, and the U.S. Department of Defense use Orbital Insight GO, a self-service analytics platform, to make smarter business decisions, build sustainable supply chains, and improve national security.
About Avison Young
Avison Young creates real economic, social and environmental value as a global real estate advisor, powered by people. As a private company, our clients collaborate with an empowered partner who is invested in their success. Our integrated talent realizes the full potential of real estate by using global intelligence platforms that provide clients with insights and advantage. Together, we can create healthy, productive workplaces for employees, cities that are centers for prosperity for their citizens, and built spaces and places that create a net benefit to the economy, the environment and the community.
Avison Young is a 2021 winner of the Canada's Best Managed Companies Platinum Club designation, having retained its Best Managed designation for 10 consecutive years.
For more information:
- Sandra Hill, Manager, U.S. Media Relations: +1 281 853 5548
- Andrea Zviedris, Senior Media Relations and Content Manager, Canada: +1 416 891 7416