The Urbanist (Monocle): Testing the Pressure on Our Cities with the 2025 Workforce Preference Barometer

Date: November 27, 2025
Host: Andrew Tuck
Guests: Sue Asprey Price (JLL CEO of Work Dynamics, EMEA), Charlotte MacDonald Gibson (Washington D.C. Correspondent), Lt. Col. Michael Breslin, Captain Micah Thomas

Episode Overview

This episode explores two pressing facets of urban life: the evolving role and design of offices in a post-pandemic world, and the complexities of training military forces for combat in increasingly urbanized environments. The first half centers around the 2025 JLL Workforce Preference Barometer, with a rich conversation on how offices are reimagining their spaces and cultures to meet shifting worker expectations. The second half delves into the growing challenges of urban warfare training, spotlighting both real-world and virtual innovations.

Key Discussions and Insights

1. The Future of Office Life: Insights from the JLL Workforce Preference Barometer

Guest: Sue Asprey Price, CEO Work Dynamics (EMEA), JLL

Positive but Nuanced Outlook for Cities

• Key Point: Sentiment towards returning to the office is improving, especially among Gen Z, who recognize unique learning and career opportunities (01:59).
• Quote:
  “The Gen Zers, as we call them, all of a sudden are saying, actually there's real value in being back in the office... recognizing the learning opportunity, the social opportunity, and the fact that it's helping us from a career development perspective.”
  — Sue Asprey Price (02:07)

Redefining Work-Life Balance & Hybrid Realities

• Finding: Over 80% of respondents value the office, but not five days a week. Flexibility and effective design are crucial (03:14).
• Quote:
  “The multidimensional part of it is how do you find that optimal for an individual? How do you allow them to have access to an office, but at the same time... enabling them to feel that they're not tied to that desk?”
  — Sue Asprey Price (03:36)

Mandates vs. Flexibility

• Data: About 48% of European organizations now mandate in-office attendance for a set number of days (05:43).
• Complexity: Different companies (e.g., US investment banks vs. tech startups) offer varying degrees of flexibility, complicating talent attraction.
• Quote:
  “We're seeing a hardening of mandates... even if they say we want people in the office three days a week also adds complexity—well, which three days do I need to be in?”
  — Sue Asprey Price (06:01)

What Makes a Great Office Now?

• Trend: Traditional, standardized office layouts are disappearing; companies now focus on amenities, personalized environments, and hospitality-inspired designs.
• Quote:
  “A lot of the work we do... is now focused around the human experience as opposed to just the functionality of what real estate is.”
  — Sue Asprey Price (08:19)
• Coffee culture & design: Even smaller companies now feature in-house baristas and borrow from hotel design (09:48).

The Role of Purpose and Wellbeing

• Challenge: Not everyone can be enticed back—wellbeing, purpose, and inclusivity (especially for neurodiverse employees) matter more than ever (12:40).
• Quote:
  “We're designing spaces for neurodiverse candidates that in a pre Covid world their needs may not have been considered... lighting, colors ... everything that calms them mentally.”
  — Sue Asprey Price (13:34)

The High-Rise Challenge and Amenitization

• Complex Reality: Making large office towers attractive requires "vertical campuses" with diverse amenities—from restaurants to gyms (15:18).
• Market Bifurcation: Highly amenitized buildings see high demand and occupancy; those without investment face vacancies (16:33).

Regional Differences in Office Returns

• US vs. Europe: Some US cities (NYC, Chicago, San Francisco Bay Area) are seeing robust office returns, especially where financial services dominate (17:36).

JLL’s Own Approach

• Practice What You Preach: JLL invests in its own offices as showcases, using flexible spaces and strong amenities to set the standard (18:55).
• Quote:
  “We joke all the time that... we are the showcase of what offices can be... if we put these pieces together, how do we make that be an attractive environment?”
  — Sue Asprey Price (19:01)

Advice for Employers

(20:54)

1. Understand generational needs via research—don’t make unwarranted assumptions.
2. Leverage flexible office providers as a testing lab before heavy investment.
3. Never underestimate amenities: food, experience, and flexible/design-led spaces are essential for attracting back talent.

2. Urban Warfare Training: The Military’s New Urban Challenge

Correspondent: Charlotte MacDonald Gibson (Washington D.C.), with US Marine Corps staff

Training for Urban Conflict in Real Cities?

• Prompt: President Trump's controversial suggestion to train troops in live US cities (23:16).
• Underlying Dilemma: Urban combat training is more complex due to civilian presence and unpredictability.

Purpose-Built Urban Training Facilities

• Quantico’s “Mount Town”: A mock European city on the base, used for decades to simulate urban combat scenarios (24:04).
• Quote:
  “Entering a building is still entering a building, whether it’s a mud building... brick structures... or in a shanty town... you still need to apply the same mindset and the same techniques.”
  — Lt. Col. Michael Breslin (25:27)

Adapting to New Human and Tech Realities

• Urbanization: As humans cluster in cities, future conflicts will likely be urban (25:52).
• Training Evolution: Modern instruction at Quantico now includes advanced tactical urban warfare as a core module (26:13).
• Quote:
  “What we consider advanced a little bit is the urban environment... 3D environment, different windows, doors, angles, everything. So we consider this advanced for them...”
  — Captain Micah Thomas (26:44)

Hi-Tech and International Innovations

• State-of-the-Art Facilities:
  • US: Muscatatuck Urban Training Center (Indiana) replicates diverse urban geographies.
  • Singapore: Safti City, a 72-building, sensor-equipped high-rise training ground with advanced AI, AR, and tactile feedback (27:26).
• Metaverse Training: Digital twins of real-world US and Asian cities allow virtual combat training—Trump’s call for city-based military drills is (virtually) already reality.
• Real World Still Matters: No matter how advanced virtual training becomes, live exercises at places like Mount Town remain irreplaceable (28:45).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

| Time | Speaker | Quote | |---------|-----------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 02:07 | Sue Asprey Price | “Gen Zers... are saying, actually there's real value in being back in the office...” | | 06:01 | Sue Asprey Price | “We're seeing a hardening of mandates... which three days do I need to be in?” | | 08:19 | Sue Asprey Price | “The work... is now focused around the human experience as opposed to just functionality...” | | 09:56 | Andrew Tuck | “It's amazing how many people have an in-house barista now. Even smaller companies...” | | 13:34 | Sue Asprey Price | “We're designing spaces for neurodiverse candidates... lighting, colors... that calms them...” | | 15:18 | Sue Asprey Price | “We call vertical campuses... The Shard... Level 30 an amazing restaurant, Level 22 a gym...” | | 19:01 | Sue Asprey Price | “We joke all the time that... we are the showcase of what offices can be...” | | 25:27 | Lt. Col. Breslin | “Entering a building is still entering a building, whether it is a mud building or...” | | 27:50 | Charlotte MacDonald Gibson | “Trump’s dream of having troops train in Democrat-run cities is already happening in the metaverse...” |

Segment Timestamps

• 00:12–02:46: Introduction; the post-pandemic office landscape and urban workforce trends
• 02:46–11:50: Deep dive on hybrid work, design, amenities, and employer responses (Sue Asprey Price)
• 11:50–14:38: Work confidence, wellbeing, inclusivity, and the limits of employer influence
• 14:38–17:36: The challenge of high-rise offices, regional differences in office returns
• 18:40–20:54: JLL’s approach; real-world application of insights
• 20:54–22:35: Practical advice for employers considering office reinvestment
• 23:16–29:00: Urban warfare training: history, modern facilities, global innovations (Charlotte MacDonald Gibson segment)

Summary/Tone

This episode balances optimism—highlighting how offices can make a comeback through thoughtful, amenity-driven, purpose-led design—with realism about the challenges of engagement, cost, and inclusivity. The military segment underscores both the moral and technical dilemmas of preparing for urban conflict, unveiling how urban design, technology, and simulation are shaping tomorrow’s city experiences—both civic and tactical.

Monocle’s tone is conversational, expertly informed, and ever-focused on practical lessons for urbanists, planners, and city lovers alike.