The death of downtown is now a familiar refrain. Central business districts (CBDs) in cities around the world—once bustling centers of office work—were hit hard by the pandemic and the shift to remote work, leading many to predict they would never fully recover.

But instead of demise, downtowns are being reinvented. And Tokyo is leading the way.

Traditional downtown business districts in cities around the world were defined and dominated by vertical towers where legions of white-collar professionals and support staff were stacked in isolated office buildings. The world’s largest metropolitan area is pioneering a new model where the city itself increasingly takes on functions that were once the province of the office, providing amenities and specialized services that enable companies to better attract and retain talent.

Instead of a single monolithic CBD, Tokyo’s downtown has been reshaped into a mosaic of distinct downtown districts with their own that together make up its vibrant urban core. Each of them has its own distinct economic identity and unique mix of amenities which allow them to appeal to different kinds of talent.