This is basically how it happens in practice. Single people generally don't commute as much. People get this "happiness equation." But, with a partner and kids

This is basically how it happens in practice. Single people generally don't commute as much. People get this "happiness equation." But, with a partner and kids, commuting becomes a greater good sacrifice. Depending on work location, a 60 minutes commute can mean a bigger house, better neighborhood and college savings. Commuting affects kids too, they get less time with a more exhausted, stressed parent. Compromises are harder to make with five people. This is one of the reasons urban architecture, with an eye to the economics of it all, are important. Architects tend to swim in abstract water. But, when they say things like "how people relate to and occupy their built environemt," I like to think they mean things like "*How people to get to work, and how awful it is." IMO, these are exactly the kinds of measures we should have have governments, rather than gdp. Commute times/pleasantness, housing-share of income, etc. For a city, knocking 10% off average commute time is on par with reducing crime rates or similar.