For his research on the economic impact of working from home on real estate and public finance, he is called "the prophet of urban doom" by The New York Times.
[4] Van Nieuwerburgh gained media attention when he published two papers in 2022 on how remote work has created an "urban doom loop" in major American cities.
[5][6][7] He argued that remote work makes office space less valuable, causes companies to move away and lowers a city's revenue from real estate taxes, subsequently leading to a reduction in public service investment and provision.
[8] He also saw working from home as the new normal, and forecasted "broader implications for investors in equity and debt markets, productivity and innovation, local public finances, and the climate.
"[9] Van Nieuwerburgh argued that between 30 and 40 percent of New York's office space could be turned into "wonderful housing" to make the city more attractive and ease the damage from remote work.