No two downtowns of major U.S. cities are alike, but since the pandemic, most could offer some broad variation of the same sentiment: The American downtown is experiencing an identity crisis. The tempos of these finance districts have slowed dramatically since in-person work interruptions, with fewer commuters and diminished office occupancy. Some urbanists warn that decreases in downtown foot traffic, driven by this white-collar set, are the first sign of what’s called an “urban doom loop:” fewer eyes on the street means more crime, and fewer feet frequenting downtown businesses leads to closures and empty storefronts.