I guess nobody saw how the internet would cause the death of city business districts, particularly the financial sectors. Downtown used to be the place to make deals, meet movers and shakers, and get information, but no more.
With the loss of urban manufacturing, all that’s left is entertainment and government.
Downtown still is the place to meet people, make deals, stay smart, etc. What is no longer a place to is shuffle papers, maintain books, process payroll, store and retrieve records, etc. This is how every bar and restaurant in Manhattan can be packed but the offices can be 75% empty.