The incentive to many builders has been to put up office space, not living space. Perhaps we'll see major conversions underway in the future.

Weeeeeeeeeeeeell. In my locale there has been an enclave that is a filled-in canal basin that wants to be opened-up again. The council want mixed canalside business/residential. Potential developers want residential. Result stagnation.

Looking into the future, the best compromise has to be residential designed around "working from home". Rooms that function as offices or spare bedrooms, WiFi, Optical Fibre and 5G (they are fighting that locally) plus despite the concept - loadsaparkingspace!

Perhaps it is just as well no developer stepped up, now there has to be a re-think. But any "home" gets a 25% seller mark-up if it has a canal in the front garden!