The same demographic trends threatening New Jersey’s malls have left the state with dozens of abandoned office parks—sometimes referred to as “gray fields”—and countless vacancies in suburban office buildings.
Lately, however, technology has changed the workplace again. “In 2007, the iPhone was introduced, heralding the smartphone era and providing mobility for workers,” says James Hughes, dean emeritus of the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers. He says office work today tends to be more creative and collaborative, requiring a new kind of office architecture.