The Great Comeback

A family making a permanent move to their larger country house, a professional who’s trading city life for a more pastoral existence, and digital nomads eschewing home ownership altogether—these are some of the trends that exploded during the Covid-19 pandemic. When socialisation was deemed a serious health risk, cities were not attractive places to be in. From statistical reports to anecdotal evidence in the last two years, these seemed to signal that these urban centres seemed to have lost their sheen, stripped off the bright lights and dynamic energy that made them attractive in the first place.

While not completely a myth, the purported migration towards rural destinations may have been overstated. Once the pandemic restrictions started easing, the sentiment changed. From London to Singapore, people rediscovered the joys of city living; be it