It wouldn't matter if people could build living spaces near work. They'd still commute. People change jobs without changing homes. There are various reasons: r

It wouldn't matter if people could build living spaces near work. They'd still commute. People change jobs without changing homes. There are various reasons: rent control would be lost, property tax control would be lost, kids would need to attend different schools, spouse would need a job in the same location, real estate agents eat 6% of home value, etc. So it works for a person's first job, assuming a 1-income household. After a few years, there is a job change, and then never again is work close to home. If you want to tackle commute distances you need to deal with all the reasons people refuse to move. You can't count on people staying with the same employer forever.