Paulista Avenue, Chucri Zaidan, Faria Lima, Vila Olímpia, Itaim Bibi... these are places where you’ll find no shortage of people in suits, rushing from one meeting to another. But why? These areas are considered the CBDs of São Paulo. And what exactly does that mean? 

Central Business Districts (CBDs) are the city’s major commercial hubs, shaped by a traditional and centralized market movement. These regions become home to large offices, retail, and financial and cultural institutions that keep the economy turning. But is this “clustering” still a sound strategy? 

From a macro perspective, these hubs, by bringing together different companies, industries, and services, facilitate networking among professionals across sectors and serve as magnets for both domestic and international investors. As a result, they attract the best public services — transport, energy, healthcare, sanitation — boosting their surroundings and making life easier for employees. Not to mention the symbolic value: a financial institution, for example, having its corporate office on Faria Lima conveys prestige and recognition. 

However, a closer look reveals cracks in this model: traffic congestion, soaring costs, inequality between regions, business-only areas that turn into empty deserts at night, weak integration with other parts of the city, and the pandemic-driven rise of remote work. Even crystal castles have their flaws. 

To better understand the issue, REsource spoke with Richard Doll, Global CRO of Graphisoft. Founded in 1982, Graphisoft is a multinational software company specializing in BIM solutions for architects and planners. This week, Richard is in Brazil to speak at the CAU 2025 Architecture and Urbanism Conference. 

Richard shared his view on the complexity of urban projects and environments, particularly in São Paulo: “There are many different stakeholders that need to collaborate for these developments to take place. This is a challenge we see in many cities worldwide: balancing demands for space, mobility, and sustainability.” 

Building on that analysis, he emphasizes the need to rethink work environments, calling the traditional, mandatory on-site model obsolete. He points to the long commute hours as a challenge not only for urban mobility but also for employee productivity, since many arrive at the office already exhausted: 

“We need to create spaces that encourage collaboration, in-person encounters, and creativity, but also allow flexibility for remote work. The offices of the future should be spaces for workshops, collaboration, and strategic meetings — not just rows of desks.” 

• Read more: SiiLA PODCAST – Who will win the future of work? Remote, in-person, or hybrid? 

Following this line, Richard explains that today’s market trend is toward decentralization, noting that many companies are already successfully operating in globally distributed structures. The need for physical proximity is increasingly less relevant: “We will see more decentralized collaborative hubs, while still maintaining strategic clusters that concentrate innovation and networking.”