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Eliminating the commute, when it is replaced by living in a suburb with essentially no access to services without driving (especially when there was access befo
by ravitation 5y ago
Eliminating the commute, when it is replaced by living in a suburb with essentially no access to services without driving (especially when there was access before), can still be a net negative... That's the point of the anecdote...
- sanderjd 5y agoYes I know. My point is that I think it's unlikely that anything comes out behind eliminating commutes. Even "essentially no access to services" is closer access to services than the common exurban commuting distance.
- ravitation 5y agoI mean you responded as if you think I was using HN comments as a representative sample and not as an illustrative anecdote... > Even "essentially no access to services" is closer access to services than the common exurban commuting distance. Okay... But it's not a one-to-one replacement... A single two-way commute might be replaced by significant drives to the grocery store, restaurants, schools, after-school activities, etc... Honestly, despite all of this discussion, I think the idea that commutes will be broadly eliminated long-term is the bigger assumption than general suburban driving being a net positive compared to commuting or vice versa.
- sanderjd 5y agoI think it's very likely that commuting to white collar jobs is in the process of undergoing a very significant and lasting change. The magnitude of it remains to be seen, but even significant changes on the margin can drive structural shifts.