If anything, the novel coronavirus disease (COVID -19) pandemic has taught us to rethink our lifestyles and question our need to travel to work every day. After all, in the age of internet, zoom meetings and webinars can be virtually conducted and physical distancing is possible. A large nature of work in cities is of tertiary nature, a major part of which can be done from home. This can affect the way offices function and reduce the need for all employees to be physically present every day. Information Technology companies are already contemplating a move of making many of its employees work from home and make this a ‗new normal‘. If more firms follow suit, the need for huge office buildings and central business districts would change. Apartments cannot get bigger at the same rate, and people may not have the space or atmosphere to work from home. This would mean that more people would opt for co-working spaces close to their homes. This could be a game changer, for it would provide the cities to better distribute their activities throughout the spaces and rid themselves of the idea of zoning. Only a handful of professionals are allowed to function from residential zones, including doctors, lawyers, architects, etc. This needs serious rethinking. Many more professions of similar nature that do not disturb surrounding residence and have no requirements of special services should be added to the list. This new work culture would bring associated demand for food joints, cafés, stationary shops, etc.
[Excerpt from „Down to Earth‟ Magazine, Blog authored by Sugeet Grover, August 17, 2020]

Which of the following is the main idea behind the passage?

The correct option is Work from home culture will result in systematization of City planning and development.

Step-by-step Explanation:

1. Analyzing the Passage Content:
The excerpt discusses how the COVID-19 pandemic has led to a shift toward working from home and using digital communication (zoom meetings, webinars). It notes that a significant portion of urban tertiary work can be conducted remotely, reducing the reliance on massive central business districts and large office buildings.

2. Impact on Urban Spaces & City Planning:
The passage highlights that since people might lack space at home, co-working spaces near residential areas will likely rise. The author explicitly states: "This could be a game changer, for it would provide the cities to better distribute their activities throughout the spaces and rid themselves of the idea of zoning." It goes on to suggest expanding the list of professions allowed in residential zones and notes how local commercial ecosystems (cafés, shops) will evolve around these decentralized hubs.

3. Evaluating the Main Idea:
• Option 1 ("Work from home is the new normal") and Option 2 ("Work from home will result in shutting down of big buildings") mention specific details or initial premises, but do not capture the broader, central thesis.
• Option 4 ("More professionals should be included in the work from home list") is merely a supporting recommendation mentioned toward the end.
• The central theme binding the entire passage together is how this evolving work-from-home culture reshapes city layouts, redistributes urban activities, moves past rigid zoning laws, and leads to better overall city planning and development.

Therefore, the main idea behind the passage is that the work from home culture will result in the systematization of city planning and development.