Are we taking the 'morning-economy' seriously enough?
A lot has changed since the end of the global pandemic.
An alarming number of people choose to wake up early...and get out into the city.
Some can be found running (for exercise - not in fear) through the inner city streets, others enjoying an early morning yoga class, but it is hard to deny that there are lots of people out and about before sunrise.
But are cities taking this growing economic opportunity seriously enough as yet?
Researchers in Australia are asking the question and their finding could offer considerable opportunity to city policymakers elsewhere.
'Far from being just a prelude to the working day, mornings hold considerable potential for our communities and economy. Yet they’re largely absent from government policy.
We’ve long structured the day around the traditional 9-5, but that pattern is loosening. Online meetings and greater flexibility to work from home — accelerated by the pandemic — have permanently altered our daily routines. The result is a new, overlooked window of opportunity for early hour productivity, socialisation and wellbeing.' - via
The early morning rush (05h00 - 07h00) if co-ordinated properly could offer considerable business opportunities to hospitality establishments (restaurants, delis, coffeeshops), health and wellness providers and perhaps even retailers.
A lot has changed since the end of the global pandemic - and one of the big changes is how much more seriously people are taking their health and wellbeing these days. Part of that shift has materialised in more people choosing to go to bed early (instead of heading to a bar at night) to wake up early the next morning to do some kind of out-of-home exercise.
Have a look at just how busy Cape Town's promenade is early in the morning these days (filled with running clubs, walkers, swimmers, pop-up sauna kiosks) for evidence of demand.
Shifting the official commercial 'start-time' of the city to 05h00 and providing the necessary support for business operations at that early hour could be of considerable value if implemented.
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Anna Edwards, Ivan Power