Montreal's transit-oriented suburbs lead in office occupancy

When comparing markets based on mobility patterns, transit-oriented suburbs, where the workforce can commute by car and public transit, are the clear winners. Office occupancy levels in transit-oriented suburbs are higher than auto-oriented suburbs, where public transit is less accessible.
  • Over the past 20 years, office occupancy rates have traditionally been lower in the suburbs compared to the urban core. However, this situation has changed since the pandemic, as occupancy rates in the urban core have gradually declined while those in the suburbs have plateaued or even increased, outpacing urban occupancy levels.
  • When comparing markets based on mobility patterns, transit-oriented suburbs, where the workforce can commute by car and public transit, are the clear winners. Office occupancy levels in transit-oriented suburbs are higher than auto-oriented suburbs, where public transit is less accessible.
  • Avison Young analyzed occupancy rates for class A, B and C office properties, and classified them into the urban core, transit-oriented suburbs, or auto-oriented suburbs, as defined by a recent Queen’s University study based on Statistics Canada data on predominant transport modes.

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