UNTRANSIT: REMOTE WORK AND THE TRANSFORMATION OF ZONING

Remote work is poised to transform land use law by untethering labor from centralized workplaces and blurring the boundaries between work and home. Traditionally, land use law and local governments have focused on separating work from home through the conduit of transit. This Article argues that the...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Stanford law & policy review 2022-03, Vol.33 (1), p.79
Main Author: Stern, Stephanie M
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Access control
Computers
Connectivity
Evaluation
Human services
Influence
Laws, regulations and rules
Local transit
Management
Services
Telecommuting
Zoning law
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Summary:Remote work is poised to transform land use law by untethering labor from centralized workplaces and blurring the boundaries between work and home. Traditionally, land use law and local governments have focused on separating work from home through the conduit of transit. This Article argues that the division of work from home in land use law and the accompanying transit mindset have stunted the local role in remote work--or untransit--as well as scholarly attention to the implications of remote work. To remedy this gap, I advocate a shift from land use law's position of (at best) tolerating remote work toward policies to support remote work. For example, local government can espouse remote work via zoning reforms, amenities such as work centers, and, perhaps most impactfully, digital connectivity. The Article also considers concerns that may arise as remote work expands. I offer suggestions for localities to mitigate possible adverse effects on economic and racial equity and urge re-thinking the conventional concerns that remote work will harm labor productivity, gender parity in the workplace, or the vaunted position of cities.
ISSN:1044-4386