Three years after Covid-19 dealt a sudden shock to downtowns across the nation, the recovery is still a work in progress. Austin’s comeback has been a mixed bag: bars and restaurants are packed, a sign of the tourism rebound that has the airport buzzing with activity. Meanwhile, big questions loom about the future of office use. Check out the Business Journals’ new Downtown Vitality Index, which compares cities across the nation on metrics such as commuting, office occupancy and transit ridership.