Urban design in the digital age: a literature review of telework and wired communities

Abstract

To understand the future direction of urban design in the digital age, this paper reviews the relation between telework – as one aspect of telecommunication – and wired residential communities – as one type of new settlement. It begins with a brief review of cities and telecommunication, and focuses on teleworkers' characteristics in the literature that affect their urban preferences in wired residential communities. The paper addresses the fundamental lifestyle transformation caused by telecommunication technology through changing live/work arrangements to recognize the key design attributes that play different roles. It concludes with a new priority for urban design in the digital age where diversity goes beyond all other design attributes, and notes a negative emphasis on physical accessibility which could be compensated through telecommunication. This review of the literature opens discussion on the future direction of urban design based on teleworkers' lifestyle that needs to be corroborated in future empirical studies.