The Financial Post reports in its Tuesday, July 25, edition that suburban office markets are showing lower vacancy rates than downtown areas. The Post's Shantae Campbell writes that according to Colliers Canada's latest National Market Snapshot, 93 per cent of new office supply this year through the end of the second quarter has been concentrated in downtown areas. Suburban office vacancy rates stood at 11.7 per cent compared with its downtown counterpart at 15 per cent. Despite the mounting optimism in downtown markets, the return-to-office process has been comparatively slower in downtowns. Various factors contributed to the hesitancy, including lingering concerns about public transportation, lengthy commute times, safety and the need to keep flexible work arrangements to attract and retain talent. Colliers's report notes that the construction cycle has been slowing down, leading to a decline in office inventory under development since 2020. Concurrently, vacancy rates in significant markets like Vancouver at 7.4 per cent and Toronto at 10.5 per cent are experiencing slight increases. During the second quarter, rental rate growth slowed. However, the annual growth rate remains strong at over 26 per cent.