The Globe and Mail reports in its Monday edition that despite the pandemic fading from view, the expected crowds and electric ambience of downtown San Francisco have not returned. An Associated Press dispatch to The Globe says that empty storefronts dot the streets. Uniqlo, Nordstrom Rack and Anthropologie are gone. Last month, the owner of Westfield San Francisco Centre, said it was handing the mall back to its lender, citing declining sales and foot traffic. San Francisco has become the prime example of what downtowns should not look like: vacant, crime-ridden and in various stages of decay. In truth, it is just one of many cities across the United States whose downtowns are reckoning with a wake-up call: diversify or die. Mayor London Breed recently announced $6-million (U.S.) to upgrade a three-block stretch by a cable-car turnaround to improve walkability and lure back businesses. Marc Benioff, chief executive officer of Salesforce, the city's largest employer and anchor tenant in its tallest skyscraper, said downtown is "never going back to the way it was" when it comes to workers commuting in each day. He advised Ms. Breed to convert office space into housing and hire more police to give visitors a sense of safety.