An examination of telework and the physical impacts on community and regional development

In this research, the practice of teleworking and the related physical impacts on communities and regions is examined. Telework is a relatively new form of work that substitutes information technology for travel to a regular place of work. As a result, there are potentially significant physical impacts on spatial development patterns, land use relationships, transportation systems, and environmental quality. This study first addresses the larger context of the telework phenomenon by characterizing the macroeconomic shift to an Information Economy. The body of the research focuses on home-based telecommuting and telecenter-based telecommuting, which are the two most prevalent forms of telework. In the United States, the current number of teleworkers is estimated at 20 million people, and long-term projections forecast a steady rate of adoption. The major forces facilitating the adoption of telework are identified and discussed. The findings regarding the physical impacts indicate a reduction in the number of commute trips and miles traveled, which result in lower auto emissions and potential reductions in traffic congestion. The indirect effects of telecommuting are latent demand for travel and an increased potential for dispersed development patterns. Future impacts of telework will largely be dictated by the frequency of telework activity among the growing population teleworkers projected, and the interplay of existing development factors which have generally led to the decentralization of metropolitan areas.