I think and indeed hope that the changes will be permanent, as long as staff are agreeable, but guess what, in some cases changes will be forced on people. I have been studying with citylit.ac.uk via Zoom for a year now, something which had not been possible after leaving London in 1998. If CityLit goes back to in-class teaching then I will be stuffed, but then so too will also be all their new, and never-before feasible students from outside London.
I’m thinking about the staggering amount of money that employers will save on buildings at (for example) Central London prices. Staff will save a fortune on commuting and be able to live absolutely anywhere they wish, including in much, much cheaper places so that they will be able to afford to buy property instead of renting. This is a social step-change.
Do you agree?