People tolerate about an hour of daily commuting regardless of era or technology, so faster transport spreads cities rather than saving time.
Marchetti's finding from travel surveys across centuries and cultures. It predicts that faster transport enlarges cities rather than shortening commutes, which is what happened with rail, cars and now remote work.
In practice
- An hour's commute by horse defined a city of three miles; by train, thirty; by car, forty.
- A city that builds a faster rail link finds its commuter belt extend rather than its commuters gain an hour.
- Further reading
- Wikipedia
- Subject
- Economics & Incentives
- Essay
- The regularities money obeys